Changing Sides
by EclipsedbyJacob
Summary: REWRITTEN! Bella works for the Volturi as Chief Interrogator. When she meets the mysterious Cullens everything changes. BxE eventually!
1. Torturer

**When I realized that people were actually still reading this little fic of mine, I decided I needed to spruce it up a bit. The original was written with no beta and very little editing. I couldn't believe the commas! But, I've taken the time to fix this up a bit as my way of saying thanks to everyone who continues to read Changing Sides.**

**As always, no characters belong to me.**

**Chapter 1 Torturer**

I stared down at the dark haired girl writhing at my feet. Her short hair was plastered against her face as if she could perspire. A sly smile crept across my lips, as the girl stopped the shaking and moaning.

"Are you ready to answer?" I asked again, my voice sweet venom. "I'm sure my colleague has a few more persuasive techniques she could try."

Jane laughed maniacally. She really only had one method of persuasion and the girl had been on the receiving end of that already. Jane found way too much pleasure in the torture of others, but I couldn't deny she had style. Ever since they were discovered, Jane and her brother Alec had been instrumental in the strengthening of the Guard. While Alec has proved more useful in the field, Jane is simply a natural in the interrogation room. She left little doubt as to whether she enjoyed what she did, which made my job infinitely easier. We were lucky to have her.

The pixie at my feet whimpered in a low, pained tone. I raised an eyebrow as the girl, slightly smaller than Jane but a few years older when changed, turned her face toward mine. Her eyes burned with intensity in their unnatural golden tone. She was getting hungry, though. The rings of her eyes were rimmed with a thick black edge. She was ready to speak at last. Even I had grown weary during the three days of intense questioning.

"I can't join you," she whispered in a hoarse voice. "What about my husband?"

The rest of the Cullens had eluded Felix and Demetri's attack and the whole situation left a sour taste in my mouth. We were well aware the power this little pixie held, yet she, above all others, was captured. It seemed wrong to me, too convenient like a trap. I wasn't sure what she might be planning, but there was honestly no way any of her clan could penetrate into Volterra without raising an alarm. Still, the thought that we might be playing into their hands was enough to stir the venom in my veins.

"Where are they, _pixie_?" I hissed, dropping all pretenses. If she continued the charade, I would have Felix come in and rip that pretty little head from her narrow shoulders. Not that I couldn't do it myself, but dismembering people tended to get messy. It would be rude not to offer her to him. He did so love to destroy.

The weary voice from the girl cut off my daydream. "My name is Alice and I don't know where they are."

I sighed. This was more of the same. "Jane," I beckoned the pacing vampire at the opposite side of the dark cell.

"No!" the girl shrieked hoarsely. "They'll come for me!"

I smiled and waved Jane back. That's what I needed to hear. They planned to come for her and then we'd have them. Whatever premonition led to little Alice Cullen's capture, I was going to see to it that it went in our favor. I would see that she never got out of Volterra's dungeons.

I turned and headed out of the cell. Jane slipped out immediately, but I hesitated at the opening, looking one last time at the porcelain skinned vampire trembling quietly on the cold floor.

She turned those eyes back to me and opened her mouth. "This is not who you are, Bella."

In slight shock, I let my mouth fall open. Only one person ever called me Bella and I hadn't even mentioned my name in her presence. It was something I had avoided in all interrogations. It gave the prisoner an edge.

I snapped my lips back together and pulled my face into a malicious grin. No Cullen would best me.

"This is _exactly_ who I am," I hissed. "You see, I could have let Aro have you right away, but then we wouldn't have had all this fun. I feel like I really got to know you."

I laughed viciously and turned toward the door, ready to be done with the thing. I had the capture of the rest of the Cullens to plan. She might have spoken once more, but it was muffled by the huge boulder as it slid in front of her cell.

I moved effortlessly through the caves under ancient Volterra. The cool darkness was the perfect way to settle my mind after the whole ordeal. I ran freely, bending, jumping and winding my way through the familiar mazes beneath the city. It would be dark outside in a matter of minutes and I'd be free to exit the sewers and head home.

As I ran, I found the pixie creeping back into my thoughts. _My name is Alice_. What was that about? Why would I care? Was she trying to connect with me? Does she think me weak?

I couldn't help but laugh aloud. I'd offered her only choices. Join or die. She had said she wouldn't join Volturi, so why would something as insignificant as knowing her name make any difference?

It didn't matter at all.

Why, then, was I dwelling on her like this? Normally, I never gave a second thought to those I'd interrogated. I'd been doing it too long for it to even cross my mind. _Usually_. I shook my head, pausing beneath the exit grate. I hoped that once I breathed in the rich scents of my nocturnal city above, I'd be able to leave the girl behind.

The very instant the sun sank below the high walls of Volterra, I sprinted up the ladder and pushed my way into a dark alleyway. Without glancing back, I walked leisurely from the mouth of the alley onto one of the main boulevards of the city. Like a vein, it pulsed with life even in the fading light. It had been my favorite place to be since the moment I saw it nearly 300 years ago.

Keeping my pace humanly slow so as not to attract any unneeded attention, I made my way through the milling people to my apartment. As the humans passed by with barely a glance, I smiled. Volterra smelled delicious at twilight.

It was not entirely surprising to see a dark, robed figure looming by the doorway. My smile faltered. "How did you get here so fast?" I asked her.

Jane peeled the hood of the dark Volturi robe from her head and flashed me a perfect smile. "Magic," she said with a wink.

I laughed and brought a golden key to the doorknob, unlocking it quickly. Jane disappeared to living room as I paused to drop my key on the kitchen counter and kick off the uncomfortable black heels I'd been struggling around in for the last three days. My feet screamed in delight as I stretched my toes, cooling them against the cool, white marble floors.

I released a satisfied groan just as two powerful arms wrapped tightly around my waist. The groan turned to a gasp before I calmed down and realized who it was.

"Felix!" I shouted, twirling my body inside his stone grip and lunging myself into him at the same time.

His lips crushed into mine with wanton passion as I pressed my body closer to his. I felt each distinct angle and dip of his body against mine, but nothing more than the thick bulge pressing hard at my hip. A low growl rumbled through his chest and vibrated all the way through me. I released his mouth, leaving a trail of eager kisses down his neck to his shirt.

Buttons were too cumbersome today, so I bit into the soft cotton of Felix's t-shirt and pulled my head back. My eyes settled on his as the shirt ripped down the center. I brushed my fingers lightly over his shoulders, easily disposing of his travel worn cloak and the rags of his former shirt and allowed myself an instant to stand back and admire the power and strength beneath my fingertips.

Felix's dark hair hung lank and unwashed in his face and his eyes were glowing with such a bright crimson, it was impossible not to feel the strength from a recent kill pushing through his massive body. I shivered in arousal, tracing over his broad, olive-toned chest, slowing my progress only to flick his already erect nipple. My fingers silently grazed their way to the waist of his jeans. I slipped my hand inside and ascertained he was commando, as promised. With excitement building by the second, I pulled him with my loose grip until he crashed into me. I felt every part of his body respond to the closeness of mine. He pressed eagerly against my stomach as his hands slid over mine at the top of his pants.

"I'd say we've destroyed enough clothing for one day, Bella." He smiled slightly, eyes still intent on me. "I want to salvage what I can."

"Five months and you want to talk about salvage?" I teased, before sneaking my hands from his and bending low to crouch at his waist. I looked up at him with my best look of innocence plastered on my face. "You sure about that?"

Felix was too eager to respond as I moved my head slowly toward him and bit down on the zipper with my razor sharp teeth. This time, instead of shredding them, I carefully pulled the zipper open, dragging it out and hearing each link release. Felix groaned heavily.

"Well, look who finally made it back home," Jane announced her presence with little couth.

It was my time to groan, but my irritation was evident. Felix just chuckled and pulled me back to a less compromising position. He zipped his pants back up as discreetly as possible, which was not all that discreet, given the amused smirk on Jane's cherubic face.

"Cock-blocker," I coughed under my breath.

The slander did nothing to diminish that stupid smile. She ignored me and bombarded Felix with a question about his mission over the past months.

"Any idea where they could be hiding?" she wondered.

Of course, we knew about as much as he did about the whole affair. We usually did. We dealt with the prisoners he sent back. Jane was just a freak for the gory details. I stepped in front of Jane and cut her off from Felix. He would have graciously answered her questions all night if I let him.

"That's enough." I snarled. She knew me too well to take real offense at the gesture, but she also knew not to test me. "Attack him tomorrow with your questions."

Felix laughed lightly over my shoulder. "Yes, Bella was in the middle of attacking me tonight."

I smiled and Jane shrugged half-heartedly. "Fine," she turned for the door. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

As the door swung shut behind the exiting figure, Felix shouted over my shoulder, "Maybe you better give us a few more than that!"

I turned around, eyes fixed on the handsome face before me. An amused smile hung imperfectly on his wide lips. I cocked a brow. "Is that a promise?" I challenged.

My legs wrapped around his waist, locking us together. Felix let out another quick burst of laughter, swung me into his arms, and pressed his lips against mine. His tongue darted in and out of my mouth and traced my bottom lip as he carried me up the stairs. We fell, an entanglement of limbs and kisses, onto the bed. We rolled until I gained the dominating position.

As I hovered over him, kissing his delicious lips, the familiar longing burned between my legs and I pushed my hips against the thick rod reaching to me from beneath its blue jean prison. Releasing our kiss, I seductively traced down his body with mine, stopping when my head was poised above his waist once again.

"So," I whispered, eyes locked with his. I lowered my head minutely. "Where were we?"


	2. Destined

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 2** **Destined**

Felix moved with the same vigor and stamina he had when we began our private party more than thirty six hours ago. If he possessed a special power, this would have to be it. He was a complete maniac in bed. It's probably one of the main reasons I stayed with him so long. He could certainly bring women far weaker than me to their knees.

Actually, I was the lucky one. Felix stuck with me after spending the past half century asking for marriage. It was something I could never give him. To me, commitment like that would be toxic. When someone held claim over someone else like that, it was much easier to get crushed. I'd seen love do horrible things to people.

I was my own person and desired to stay that way. My soul belonged only to me and I would never give it to another to destroy. That didn't mean I couldn't _feel_ it, but with my occupation, it was safer to keep myself distant from everyone. You never knew when the person standing next to you ended up in a cell. It would make things more difficult if I feelings were involved. I couldn't just hand out pieces of myself and risk pain later. There was no excuse to leave myself open and exposed like that.

So, I had always been careful with my emotions, never getting too happy, or angry, or melancholy. Not even amidst the throes of passion could I ever totally let my control go. The implications were too great. With Felix, I was hesitant to say _no _feelings were involved, but I still kept my soul out of it. Secretly I wondered if that was the reason he always found his way back to my bed. I was the only woman in the world who could resist the pull of his seduction.

Sort of.

When he pounded against me like this, it was hard to concentrate, to keep my mind centered. Each powerful thrust between my legs sent pulses of pleasure radiating outward. In spite of everything, Felix warmed my cold soul.

On the other hand, know when to say when. The corpse in the corner was beginning to stink and I needed to get it out of here. We shared an intimate snack after Jane left, but had yet to leave the bed and clean up after ourselves. Our gluttony was turning rank and I was finished smelling it.

I placed my hands on Felix's shoulders and pushed. He tried to ignore my gesture and pumped harder into me, increasing his tempo. He growled my name in a menacing voice and lowered his face to my neck, trailing bites and kisses down my neckline. His urgency grew stronger.

"Enough," I snarled and pushed harder.

All movement ceased. Without pulling away, Felix gazed into my eyes, reading them. After a few silent seconds, he sighed heavily and rolled off. For a moment, we laid staring at the ceiling, panting, though there was no need.

"Will you ever let me finish, Bella, or will my balls remain permanently blue?" he whined miserably.

"If it didn't take you so damn long."

Felix smiled, turned toward me and lifted his head to rest on his elbow. I took a moment to enjoy the broad chest and sculpted muscles of his pale body. He was undeniably gorgeous, sexed-up like that, but if I kept staring at him we'd be back at it for another day and a half.

I jumped off the bed and reached for my silk wrap. Felix groaned and I reached over to ruffle his dark hair before prancing toward the bathroom, giving my hips an extra shake because he was a total ass-man.

Closing the door, I slipped from my robe and turned the water on. I climbed into the shower and let myself be submerged by the pounding against my neck and back. My muscles were bundled into tight knots. I mean, there are only so many times you can cum before the sensations numb and release becomes utterly impossible. I ended up more wound up than was I should be after hot vampire sex. Of course, after a century with Felix this was a very familiar feeling. I wanted to feel him cum. That's what gets _me_ off.

I was lost in the rhythm of the water hitting my body when a pair of hands slipped gently around my waist.

"Can't you wait until I'm done?" I asked, as he moved into the spray and pressed his cock against my ass.

"No," he growled at my ear, "evidently I have something to prove to you."

He positioned his hands at my waist, adding just enough pressure to cause me to bend slightly. Before I even had the chance to chastise him for his presumptuousness, he pushed hard into me. I gasped. He took it as encouragement and slammed in me, over and over. My skin rippled as he rocked against me, grunting and dominating. I searched out a handhold to brace myself against his furious thrusting. One hand ended up knotting in the shower curtain and the other against the sparkling white tile.

Harder and harder he pushed. Deeper and deeper he went, moans mingling and echoing with mine. The tile loosened and cracked under the increasing pressure of my palm.

"Felix," I hissed, feeling myself inch toward release again. The shower curtain ripped loose of the rod sending metal rings bouncing all over the bathroom. I untangled my hand with a quick shake and reached around to grab his thigh. His muscle flexed as he moved in and out, energy building with each forward movement.

Suddenly, his whole body went rigid as he slammed hard into my ass one last time, expending all his energy in the powerful thrust. His grip tightened on my hips as he held me in place. He groaned, a low feral sound and his orgasm pulsed throughout my body.

He held us together like that for a moment longer before stepping back and out of me. I stood up with the most affronted look I could manage and narrowed my eyes. I hadn't gotten my own climax and I was ticked.

Felix met my glare and smiled, actually snickering a little. "The reason I go so long is for your benefit, Isabella, not mine."

The air gusted from my lungs and I was speechless. Felix was rarely so blatant. I turned my back to him quickly and buried myself into the streaming water again. He slapped my ass playfully, grabbed one of the white cotton towels and left the room, chortling to himself as he went.

Needless to say, Felix's little declaration roiled in my stomach. After finishing my shower, I exited the bathroom, back in my thigh length robe. I sent him an icy stare and went about getting ready for work, diligently ignoring him. He lounged on the bed, wrapped in the towel, and smiled as I finished throwing on a knit dress and wrapped my damp hair into a tight bun. When I opened the door and stood next to it, he finally came downstairs.

"I can't help the way I feel about you," he said softly and excused himself with a kiss on my cheek.

My mood only darkened as I slid into the sewers to begin my day. It was actually lucky that I was going to be able to blow off some of my aggression on some unsuspecting prisoner. I needed an outlet today. Almost immediately, I heard the sound of light footsteps behind me.

"Isabella!" Jane called out. "Wait up!"

Even without slowing my pace, she caught me easily. It's not like I was running. I just wasn't in the mood for socializing.

"I've been trying to get a hold of you. Did you get my messages?" There was a rare undercurrent of excitement to her tone.

"No, well, Felix does keep me busy when he's in town," I grumbled moodily.

Jane snickered. "That's not what I meant. We caught another Cullen. The girl's mate!" In a lower tone she added, "He's obnoxiously sexy."

I raised an eyebrow, entirely too eager over the turn of events to remember the raincloud hanging above my head. "Her mate?"

"Yeah, he just walked right in the front gate like a tourist."

Jane was right. He was extremely attractive indeed. I'd always wondered about Jane's...er, _orientation_, actually leaning toward _asexual_, so it was a relief to see she did have a preference and it wasn't Alec.

When we entered his cell, the blond man was sitting on the stone floor and staring at me purposefully. He was tall and thin, but broad through his chest and shoulders which were accentuated by a tight fitting cream turtleneck. With eyes blazed in defiance, I stretched a cool smile across my face for him.

"Careful with this one," Jane whispered. "He makes you feel emotions that aren't your own."

"Wait, have you already been here with him? Who did you partner with?" I demanded angrily. Jane ducked her head, giving me the only answer I needed. She had disregarded protocol. "What is wrong with you?" I scolded. "You are never to engage on your own, no matter what! That was completely reckless. If his power is as strong as I've been warned, he could have persuaded you to do anything! Release him! Release the girl! _Are you insane or just stupid_?"

"I don't need to use her," a deep American accent uttered behind me.

I whirled around to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?" I snarled.

"It means I'm not interested in your partner. I can't make people feel emotions they are incapable of having." His voice was easy and smooth. It irked me.

A strange tingling suddenly fluttered in my stomach. I had to concentrate much harder than I'd had to in nearly two centuries to shield myself from the onslaught of his emotional manipulations. In the beginning, I had only been able to block out mind powers, but after I spending countless years training I was now able to block all power attacks except physical ones. I was surprised by the sheer strength of his.

As the feeling subsided and I regained myself, I took two quick steps forward and swung my leg back. My foot collided squarely with his chin, like kicking a football. He was momentarily dazed, before his body reacted, coiling on itself and ready to lash out.

"I don't think you've become acquainted with Jane's powers. She, too, can make you experience feelings that are not your own." I nodded at her to give him a taste of the Volturri's power.

When nothing happened, I looked back at Jane, still standing at the entry way. "_Jane_," I insisted, my tone cold, leaving no room for her silent denials. No matter how attractive the blond was, or how pissed she was at me for calling her out, we had a job to do. It would simplify the process if he understood what he was up against right away. In his doubt lay our victory over the Cullen Clan. My instincts told me he was a weak link, weak in a way the other Cullen was not. It wouldn't take me long to discover his Achilles heel and take advantage.

A moment later, the vampire slid to his back and began twitching. Only one grunt of pain escaped his lips and I had to admit I was impressed. Jane had the power to torture someone into insanity, but this one was strong. A _warrior_. The scars on his neck and wrists attested to that. Maybe my assumptions were not completely accurate. The Volturi could benefit from strength like this. I waved Jane off quickly.

Bending over him, I spoke softly. "You see? We are not without some tricks of our own."

"Where's Alice?" he asked me, dismissing my taunt.

The pain had already dissipated and he sprang to his feet and looked me in the eyes. The intensity of his stare burned and I felt the fluttering in my stomach again. It was going to take a conscious effort to keep him from tweaking my mood. I pushed the sensation down until it disappeared again.

"She's safe, for now," I answered nonplussed. I didn't want him knowing he could get to me. "Tell me, how did you two meet?"

"Fuck off!" he spat back.

"Temper, temper dear. Jane might not feel a plethora of emotion, but she is no stranger to anger."

The man backed down, slumping back to floor.

"It doesn't really matter to me, anyway," I went on, pacing back and forth in front of him. "I don't give a shit about you or your pixie or your family's dietary habits. Understand I have a job to do and you can help simplify it for me. You can save your mate and the two of you can go about your happy little way."

I quit walking and stared down at him, adopting my favorite stance reserved for intimidation. My hands were at my hips and my legs spread wide. I purposely pushed my shoulders back, giving the impression I was broader than I actually was. But it was the face that really did it. My eyes were narrowed and my lips curled away from venomous teeth in a sadistic sneer. "You, my friend, have a choice to make."

I saw him lean back slightly, before recovering and producing a scowl of his own. "No. Alice first."

I laughed, a light sound echoing through the cell as Jane joined me. "I think you may have misunderstood."

Jane hit him in the nose with a clenched fist. This time I could tell she put all of her force behind it. The man grabbed his head and whipped it back and forth. It took him longer to shake the pain this time, but I waited until the haze disappeared from his eyes so he would not be able to misunderstand again.

"I am the one in charge here," I hissed.

I aimed another kick at his face and felt with satisfaction as my toe connected hard with his nose.

After leaving the man with some things to think about, Jane followed me down the hall to where the girl was incarcerated. She was standing expectantly when we entered her cell.

"You're late," she said lightly. Her tone betrayed no hint of fear, only expectation as she stared us down. This was the reason I found the male weaker than she. She already seemed to be a step ahead of us.

"You're lucky we're here at all. I have half a mind to let you rot," I snapped back and walked confidently toward her. "As I'm sure you're aware, we have captured your mate."

The girl nodded, eyes drifting to the floor. "He came for me."

"Yes," I sneered. "Just as you said. Now, tell me where the rest are hiding. It will make things easier for you if you just tell me."

Her nodding became shaking. "The future is fallible. I only get glimpses. Most things aren't concrete. The decisions-"

I cut her off. "You mean they haven't _decided_ to come for you yet?"

The pixie's eyes snapped back to mine. She was smiling again, just like that. "At least a dozen times."

My patience was waning. I called Jane over in a bored tone.

The Cullen girl fell immediately to my feet, shaking and shrieking as Jane pulled her mind and body apart. I paced back and forth a few times, allowing Jane to have a little unbridled fun and bring the prisoner closer to cracking.

When Jane finished and the girl lay panting on the cold stone floor, I spoke again. "Don't talk to me in riddles."

Jane chuckled a bit from behind, but the girl did something truly surprising. She apologized. "I'm sorry, Bella. I wasn't intentionally trying to mislead you."

"Then you mean to give me the information I want? All locations of Cullen property so we can search the others out and bring them in for questioning?"

She blinked. "Even if I did know every single home they owned on every continent, I couldn't tell you that. They're my _family_."

"And your mate? Does his life mean less than theirs?" I asked her.

Grimacing, she answered again. "All life is equal. I love all of them and would gladly sacrifice myself to save them. If I can, I will. Jasper would do the same. I'm sorry Bella, but our secrets are ours to keep."

"Jane, leave us," I suddenly snarled. I could sense Cullen's body tense warily.

"But," Jane started, assuredly going to bring up my reprimand for her interrogating the other Cullen on her own, but I had no need of arguments today. I was the superior officer and she would do as ordered. I turned and quickly shot her a cold stare. She huffed a little, but exited with no further comment.

Once alone, I walked up the pixie and crouched down next to her crumpled frame. I could see her eyes were now as black as her hair. The thirst must be excruciating.

"If you have no intention of telling me anything, why are you talking so much? Surely you realize if we don't get what we want we will kill both you and your mate, and never stop until the entire clan has been dealt with. Nothing can change an official order from the Brothers, and all three of them signed your death warrants." My tone was soft, but still threatening.

She looked at me for a long, silent moment. "I will tell you something, Bella. The Brothers' days are numbered. This will be _your_ empire soon enough."

I laughed aloud. "There are no threats to the Volturi, unless you're implying that your family is capable of overthrowing them?"

The pixie shook her head, unwilling to divulge more of her visions of the future.

"It wouldn't be hard to request a meeting with Aro. He'd be eager to know what you have seen."

"You don't want to do that, Bella." Her voice was soft, almost sad.

"And why not? Afraid we'll find the others?"

Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized my features. The intense way she eyed me knocked me off guard for a second. "For the sake of _your_ existence, Aro can never touch me."

When I let my shocked silence speak for me, she said something that would change my existence forever.

"Every decision affects the future, Bella, but sometimes it doesn't matter. Sometimes the outcome remains the same no matter what path takes you. I have seen it thousands of times and each premonition ends the same. You're the one that will destroy the Volturi."


	3. Brothers

**All characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 3 Brothers**

The night following the pixie's premonition, I retreated to my favorite spot in the city. On the edge of the fountain, I felt at peace. It had always been a special place for me and able to erase any tension I was feeling. Right now I felt more wound up than ever before. As I approached the center of town, I noticed a human couple sitting on the edge of the pool, huddled together closely. Her arms were wrapped around the man's shoulders as he whispered frivolous dribble in her ear about forever and eternity when their human minds were so incapable of even comprehending the terms. It would have been amusing to toy with the weak strands of love they thought was their entire world and seduce the man just to watch his girlfriend be crushed. But I was in a raw sort of mood today.

They saw my deep black cloak and looked up, never releasing their hold on each other. The look I saw in both sets of eyes was not one of fear. The villagers knew not to be afraid of the Guard. To them, we were the most elite of their police, though in reality, we never even bothered with their human affairs, even in our own city. It didn't surprise me they acted natural and smiled, even though their subconsciouses were already ringing with alarms. Two frail, weak hearts picked up momentum and their breathing became even shallower as their bodies registered their instinctual fear. The man, handsome enough for a human, smiled lightly and greeted me respectably.

"_Fuck off_," I snarled back, in no mood for niceties.

Two sets of eyes grew wide at the same instant and they stood up quickly. Without a glance back, the man pulled the girl quickly from the square. I sighed loudly and flung myself haphazardly on the wide lip of the fountain, letting my fingertips swirl lazy circles in the clear water. For a long while, I sat with my eyes closed and let the sounds of the water rushing and splashing clear my senses and unravel the funk I had been carrying around with me these past few days. I only opened them again when I sensed someone coming, but it was reluctantly. I knew who it was. With deep chocolate hair shimmering in the pale moonlight, Heidi strode confidently toward me. Inwardly I groaned.

Despite being colleagues, Heidi and I did not get along. She was annoyingly difficult and constantly threatening to take what was mine, including Felix. I rolled my eyes as she sat down next to me. _Take him if you want him, honey,_ I had told her on countless occasions. And yet, after all this time, he was still devoted to me like a lost puppy. If he wasn't such a great lay, I'd actually find it pathetically annoying.

"What do you want, Heidi?" It sounded more like a growl than a question. Maybe she'd take the hint.

She smiled in a devious way. "Aro wants to speak with you. I think he wonders why the Cullens are still alive."

I snorted. She _thinks_? Heidi made it her business to _know_ everything. I finally caught her eye, noticing they were natural crimson instead of the violet she normally sported, always hiding behind a pair of colored contacts. She usually tried to justify wearing them even when not working because a "situation" may arise.

What situation? Hurry! A tour bus broke down and dinner is going to be late to the throne room? Right, Heidi. Have fun waiting for that one.

She didn't seem in any hurry to leave after giving me the message, so I hoisted myself from the edge of the pool and began walking toward the tower where Aro would undoubtedly be waiting. Heidi hopped up and was following silently a few steps behind me. With a sideways glance in her direction, I saw the amused smile still playing on her lips.

"What are you smiling about?" I hissed, knowing too well she was only looking to provoke me.

"I hear the male is exquisite," she said and giggled.

Naturally. Her one track mind was on its one track, but it didn't feel like the real reason behind her seeking me out, then tagging along. She felt the same way toward me as I did to her. We drifted in silence before she spoke again.

"And I have to admit, I'm interested to see how the _golden child_ gets herself out of this one. Caius is furious." This time, Heidi laughed aloud. I growled again.

"I'm assuming you were asked to do nothing more than deliver a message?" It ended as a question, but I already knew the answer. "Then I suggest you get _lost_."

With some difficulty, she reapplied her grin though it looked more like a grimace at the prospect of having to leave before she heard the juicy details of my reprimand. She was just going to have to get over it. There was no way this bimbo was coming to my meeting with the brothers.

"If you're sure I can't help..."

With a swift backhand, I slapped her across that beautiful little face of hers. Without all my force behind it, Heidi merely staggered backwards, mouth opened in shock, but the power was enough to split her lip. Luckily, we don't bleed or I would have to have torn her head from that thin neck just for making me uncomfortable. In any case, the action had the desired effect and Heidi stood planted at the point of impact, hand rubbing her jaw and eyes following me as I faded into the dark alley.

At least it made me feel a little better. I wish I could show Caius the back of my hand. Out of all the brothers, he was the one who thought the least of me. But it was so much more than a mere dislike. Since I had come to Volterra, he had been the very bane of my existence, even more so than Heidi. No one had the power to infuriate me the way he could. No matter what I did, Caius would find a conspiracy hidden beneath my motives, even though I had never dreamed of being anything but loyal.

To Aro at least.

Until now.

The words that Alice said ran through my thoughts again and again. I had no conscious desire to go against the men who raised me. That included Caius. No matter our differences, he was my mentor's brother, and therefore due respect. It was the one thing I could offer him. Accusation after accusation I held my tongue, never striking back in any way. It wasn't the easiest thing to do given the nature of my instincts which Caius realized early on, but his little rants accomplished nothing more than making me livid. I never spoke back to him and that's what he wanted from me.

Of course, I realized long ago it was fear that drove his tirades against me. I was an unknown. Aro could not see my thoughts. Neither Jane nor Alec had any effect on me and Demetri was blind when it came to tracking the essence of my mind. For all these reasons, there had been major negotiations regarding my place amongst the Volturi. Caius had been irate when it was Marcus, not the ever optimistic Aro who recommended me to take control of the Volturi should the need ever arise. Caius went along with his brothers' decision, only because he had been out-voted. Still, the need for a successor was irrelevant, which is why he accepted the decision. Not that it made him happy, but he did get the pleasure of infuriating me. Maybe that was worth it in his eyes.

In any case, not even I had foreseen a reason I would have to step up to the position. It was a joke in my mind. I didn't want to be thrust under the scrutiny of millions of vampires worldwide. Not that any of their opinions mattered, but I had never been one to enjoy being the center of attention. I liked working behind the scenes where it really mattered. I could care less about being any one's poster child.

I had reached the ancient wooden door marking the entrance of the tower. I took the time to feel the incredibly smooth surface, weathered by ages of wind and rain. The grain told its own story of life and struggle, in a time, perhaps thousands of years ago, when this tree had sprouted and begun growing. Shaking the silent musings from my mind, I pushed it open. I wanted to stall awhile longer, but I knew I could find endless distractions and might never enter.

Deep down, I knew Aro would be accepting of whatever lie I told him, but the fact remained that a seed had been planted in my own mind. It had already taken root, try as I might to deny it. I _could_ be the one to destroy them. It _could_ happen. But why would I when they offer so much? All the benefits, minimal responsibility. What more would I want? I, under no circumstance, wanted to rule. End of story. That realization alone should have untwisted the knots in my stomach, but the feeling didn't fade. I already felt guilty. Guilty of something that seemed too impossible to even try and fathom. Yet, there I was, running it over in my head again and again. It simply didn't make sense and I knew I had to cool it before I walked in. I was already approaching the door.

Pulling in a deep lung full of air, I squared my shoulders. This was it. I was ready for my close-up. Pushing through the wide door, I stepped into the huge circular antechamber. My senses took in the thrones placed unevenly around the walls and the slight dip in the center of the floor where the drain was. It always smelled rank with blood and the overwhelming scent of massacre. Far from making me thirsty, I found the stench in the throne room repulsive.

"Isabella, darling!" Aro's smooth voice crossed the spacious room as he glided over to meet me. I automatically smiled. I could tell that he wasn't in his usual upbeat mood. Perhaps, the Cullens had piqued him more than I originally anticipated.

"Aro," I greeted when he embraced me, kissing each of his papery cheeks. "How have you been?"

"Fine, my child. The pressures of ruling a world are as uncomfortable as ever." He laughed lightly, grabbing my elbow and pulling me to where his brothers and the personal guards were gathered.

Caius stared through narrowed eyes, a wicked smile just playing at the corners of his mouth. It was unnerving, almost like he was about to call my bluff. Not that I was trying to hide anything. Except, in a way, that's exactly what I was doing. _For the sake of __my__ existence._

Alice's warning rang in my head and I was thankful again Aro's talent couldn't penetrate my mind. I knew that if any of them knew what Alice had said, my existence would be in jeopardy. That was how the Volturi functioned. We eliminated any threat to our way of life. That's how the Cullen's appeared on our radar; choosing a lifestyle other than ours.

We reached the set of three stone chairs which the brothers claimed to do their business. It had always been that way. The three brothers in the center and the dozen other thrones for the others, though the Disciples of Volterra had been extinguished over a century ago. I knew, because I had the pleasure of eradicating some of the more pious among them, but their thrones remained as a silent threat for all other vampires. If the brothers could so easily turn against their peers, imagine what they were capable of doing to those who had no direct bearing or influence on their lives. It was a difficult lesson for anyone to forget.

Aro seated himself in his vacant chair, but it was Caius who spoke. "What lies do you have for us today, _girl_?"

He always refrained from using my name. Just add it to the list of annoying habits he had to irritate me. Marcus was sitting off to Aro's left, staring at the other side of the room. Not paying attention, as usual.

"If you mean the Cullens-"

"Of course I mean the Cullens, you stupid girl," Caius mocked. "You see, brothers? She is hardly equipped with the mental capacity to speak, let alone rule our people. I tell you, Aro, we are better off to draft a new will. Demetri is a warrior. He is much more suited to lead."

I took a deep breath to settle my anger before it got too out of control. With how I had been overreacting to everything this past week, it was a possibility. I couldn't let myself lose it. One step out of line and Caius would have me banished from the city. Or worse.

"They know more than they've said. I think-"

"You _think_?" The ancient snarled at me. "We cannot base the outcome of our future on your assumptions."

"Caius," Aro chided his brother. "Manners, my brother. Isabella has never been anything other than completely loyal to us. We also must be careful with our assumptions."

Caius stared at his brother with an obvious look of distaste on his face. He made no effort to hide it, but Aro turned back to me, ready to ask his own questions. His would be easier to answer, but that might have something to do with the fact he wouldn't belittle me every opportunity he had.

"What is the delay? It isn't like you to put off an execution. Have there been new developments?" he wondered, studying my face.

Now, I had to think fast. I decided a version of the truth was the best way to go, so I said. "They are both so powerful, Aro. It just seems like we would be better off with them working with us."

"Has no one ever explained to you about the Cullens?" Caius sneered. "They will never join us and we have already tried as much force as was necessary. That only leaves one option. _Ever_. There is never cause for postponing the inevitable."

"Caius is right," Aro agreed quietly.

My shoulders slumped forward and I lowered my eyes in an attempt to look properly chastised. In reality, my mind was whirling. How can I manage more time to question them? I can't say why, but I knew I couldn't let this go with the small amount of information I was able to siphon from the pair. There was something more to gain from their knowledge. They held something important. Maybe not as far as the Volturi were concerned, but no matter which way I looked at it, it was important for me.

I decided that another smidgen of truth might help my situation. As long as I could keep all the ramifications of Alice's vision to myself, it might be my only chance to prolong their internment. "The girl has been having visions," I finally said, hoping it wasn't too much. Aro's eyes widened, but Caius merely scowled. "She is starting to open up to me, to trust me. She may be turned yet. And if I can change her mind..."

"Yes," Aro clapped his hands delightedly. "Her mate would follow her. Two for the effort of one."

I saw my chance and seized it. "_Exactly_," I breathed.

After a moment in his surprise, Caius protested, "Dear brother, you know as well as I that it is impossible."

"If there is any doubt, I can see the girl for myself, Caius. Then we will know exactly what she and her family are hiding."

Oh shit. I couldn't let that happen. Time to think fast.

"She told me she is only getting flashes, but it sounds like something beneficial to us. I'm positive she trusts me enough to tell me what it is she is seeing when it finally materializes." Good job, Bella. That sounded convincing.

Caius snarled, but I could see Aro's deliberate concentration as he considered this. Finally, he smiled his familiar grin and I knew it would be good news. So did Caius. He immediately tried to protest, but Aro raised his right hand and silenced him.

"It seems imprudent to force her to give us information. Likely she will tell you, but to ensure it, her mate will be executed tomorrow at twilight. That ought to give little Alice something to think about."

I plastered the most impossibly fake smile on my face. I understood all too well what had just happened. By giving an absolute time frame to their lives, Aro will force Alice to bend to our will.

"You have one week after that. If she doesn't change sides, she will be next," he continued a bit morosely. Aro certainly saw the advantage having the pixie's power of premonition working for us.

"Thank you," I answered, looking one last time at Caius' furious glare. I ducked my head slightly, and backed from the room.

Surely, Alice would have seen this decision, so I did the only thing I could. I sprinted to the prison.


	4. Running

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 4 Running**

The girl was waiting expectantly and smiled as she saw my face. I grimaced. Why does she do that? I was a monster of the grisliest sort. Anyone would be right to fear me, but not this one. She invited me into the cell where I was keeping her with a wide gesture. It seemed strange, random, planned. She simply made no sense to me and that made her completely fascinating.

"You can't stop it, you know," she said as I ducked into the cell. "It's already started."

I shook my head. She sounded like we were in on some great conspiracy, when I neither understood nor wanted anything to do with it.

"Look, I don't know what you think is going-"

"I don't think, I _know_," she said, eyes flashing.

I groaned, wanting to throw my fist in her smug little face. For some reason, it seemed an impossible task, like I was trying to push against gravity. Her smile grew wider as I battled with my thoughts.

I sighed. "What's going on? I can't even think straight anymore."

"For the first time in your life you're recognizing that you are more than this," she gestured generally around her cell.

I met her intense gaze again, noting the color of her eyes. Completely black now. Surely she must be ravenous. I had dined twice since her arrival. As usual, the meals were bussed in as tour groups. That was the only reason Heidi was a part of the Guard. Tourists were so delectable in their innocent unawareness. Surely, I could have spared something to drink for her. I can't imagine what her thirst feels like.

The dark haired pixie shook her head. "I'd never drink it, Bella."

"Ah, yes. Animals only. It's very strange. Why is it you deny yourselves our most basic need? What pleasure do you get?" Over the past few days, I spent too much time wondering why the Cullens had chosen their lifestyle. Choosing animals above humans seemed insane and unnatural. Why go through all the trouble?

"I wouldn't say it's pleasurable, necessarily," she said slowly. "But there's something to be said for clinging to the last bit of humanity we have. By not relying on our basest instincts, we are able to blend in and better the fragile life surrounding us. We don't have to be monsters, Bella. In fact, Carlisle saves human lives on a daily basis. He's much more in tune with the human body than a mortal doctor could ever dream of being."

"He is a good soul," I replied, remembering Carlisle perfectly from his stay in Volterra centuries ago. The golden haired intellect had made an impression on every one he had come in contact with. Even Aro held him in the utmost esteem. He even cursed himself when he signed that particular Cullen death warrant. Aro felt as uncomfortable as I felt now, thinking of destroying someone as pure as Carlisle. It was just we couldn't trust his choice to gather others into his following. Seven was a significant size for any coven. The biggest anywhere in the world, besides my own little Volturi family. We couldn't trust the judgment of anyone who pretended to be part of a world in which they no longer belonged, a world full of prey for the taking. It was simply not our place to mingle and blend in. It created an opening for exposure and that was absolutely unacceptable. On top of that, Carlisle turned so many. Who's to say he won't be happy until he's raised an army? Yes. It was definitely too risky to have a man like Carlisle running around, no matter how good he is.

"You knew him, then?" she wondered, breaking me from my reverie.

"Yes, I met him when he lived in Volterra," I answered carefully.

"Then how can you doubt him?"

I stared at her for a minute before answering. "Your lifestyle imposes too many risks on the vampiring community. It's unnatural, unsafe, and should not be permitted to continue."

"That's what you really believe, Bella? That we are incapable of secrecy? It's true we will never 'blend in' with humans, not really, but we can function in their society. All we want is to share our lives together in the best semblance of a family we can create. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Why did you personally choose that lifestyle?" I questioned. Carlisle had not changed she or her mate, yet they followed his rules without question.

She smiled again, the previous tension wiping away. "There was no one there when I awoke from my change. I was alone except for one thing, my gift of foresight. It showed me two things: Jasper and Carlisle. There were never any choices."

I thought it over for a minute before I found myself smile at her. Yes, it felt a little forced and awkward, but also very genuine. "Thank you, Alice," I said, in awe over myself and the strange ways this pixie was making me behave.

I was halfway through the door before deciding to tell her about Aro's decision. Just as I opened my mouth, Alice gave me an impatient wave. "It won't even matter."

"But-"

"Can I ask you a favor, Bella?" she interrupted.

Not sure where this was coming from, I stayed silent.

"Hey," she said lightly. "I know I'm really in no position to ask for anything, but can I just throw it out there? Maybe like a suggestion or something?"

I raised an eyebrow, but let her continue. "See, it's just that...I mean...I'd just really appreciate it if you kept your kicking away from Jasper's face."

Her eyes flashed with something wilder than I would have thought she could muster, but was gone as quickly as I recognized it. I was shocked for an instant until I realized how she would know what I had done to her mate. My smile changed into something much more familiar than the one I forced a minute ago. I sneered at her and moved all the way out of the cell.

"No promises."

As I walked swiftly down the corridor, I was engrossed with the confused thoughts. I actually walked into him, before I realized who it was. "Felix!" I yelped loudly. My voice echoed down the dark tunnel. "You scared me!"

Muscular arms snaked their way around my waist and he leaned in to nuzzle my hair. The light touch of his lips against my neck sent a flurry of tingles down my spine. "You've been avoiding me," he whispered so softly, it was more like wind brushing through my hair.

"I have," I agreed, more breathlessly than I would have liked. I had to force my voice into a more suitable tone for the conversation. It wasn't easy with his tongue slowly tracing the curve of my neck. I pushed at his shoulders before the little amount resolve I had left fell through my toes. "In fact, I still am."

With all my effort, I averted my eyes from his scarlet ones as he raised them. He didn't look as shocked or upset as I had hoped, but he'd always been difficult to discourage.

"Come on, Bella." Well, at least his voice sounded disappointed. "I'm leaving and I wanted to say goodbye."

I stopped trying to pass him and met those deep eyes again. "You're kidding me, right?" He had only been back a week. Normally, he would be free for months after such a long deployment. This was unusual.

Felix shook his head. "Where have you been? Vampires all over the world are suddenly being spotted by humans. They're calling out the entire Guard for this. All at once, everyone lost their bloody minds."

I gasped. Where _had_ I been? I hadn't heard anything about calling out everyone! Something was wrong. It didn't feel right. "Where are they sending you?" My tone was quiet now that I realized we were saying goodbye.

"To the States again," he answered in the same soft tone. "Alaska, this time."

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his thick shoulders and hugged him tightly. He returned to kissing my neck and I let him for a moment before I put my hands on his shoulders again. Instead of pushing him away, I moved back. "I really have to go."

His eyes sparked with anger. "No you don't," he snarled. "What's down here that has you so preoccupied, Bella? I haven't seen you in days!"

"I have a job to do," I hissed back at him, my own anger piqued.

Felix raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Oh, so it has nothing to do with the Cullen?" Now his voice dripped with venom.

"The Cullens?" I shouted back angrily. "What do they have to do with any-"

"I didn't say _them. _You realize he can make you feel any way he wants, don't you? He can manipulate you, Bella."

I nearly laughed aloud. So this was about jealousy?

"Enough, Felix," I spoke it like a slap. With one fluid movement I stepped around him and continued down the darkened corridor. I didn't look back, though I could sense his eyes on me as I disappeared around the corner.

I found Jasper lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. As I entered, he looked deeply into my eyes. "Here for another bout of torture? You do realize that the torture of POWs was outlawed at the Geneva Convention?"

I smiled wickedly at him. "Mr. Cullen, I do not abide by the laws humans set for themselves. Torture is often the only means to get what you desire. That, and there is no war."

He sat up quickly, meeting my eyes and smirked. "Oh no? Didn't Alice tell you? It's already starting. I can feel the electricity, the calm before the storm. Can't you feel it in the air? War tastes like blood."

"Now, now," I chided, "let's not get ahead of ourselves. There is nothing to fight over. We're friends."

"_Friends_?" He shouted. "You call us _friends_? Let me see my wife, _friend_. Let me free from this prison, _friend_!"

The man was now inches from me, bending over to look me straight in the eye. At that moment I realized how stupid it was of me to enter this cell alone. Alice was one thing. She was no threat to me, as my fighting skills would be undeniably superior even with her gift. But this one was different. He could easily put his hand on my throat and squeeze. I wouldn't have a chance. It wouldn't take much effort from him, a known neophyte handler from the South American territory disputes of the early twentieth century.

I didn't back down, though, I couldn't. It wasn't pride; it was authority. I was still in charge here, and I couldn't allow him to forget that.

"Get out of my face," I snarled on the brink of calling him every foul name I knew in every language I spoke.

He moved a step back. "Can you please just tell me how Alice is? I can't stand not knowing." I couldn't help but catch the desperation in his voice. On second thought, perhaps I was wrong about him again. Taking him away from his wife was crippling him.

The words slipped from my tongue before I thought about what I was saying. "She asked me not to kick you anymore."

He turned his blond head in my direction. "Is she ok? Has she eaten? Can I see her, one time?"

The last two questions were spoken so softly that I wasn't sure if he had spoken them at all. "Look, Jasper, I want you and Alice to be safe. Fact is, I kind of like her." I guess that's what you call it, though it felt more like curiosity. "I don't know why it is that I can't seem to be in control of myself in front of either of you." I paused for a moment. "Well, maybe why for you, but not for her. And why does she make me feel giddy like a school girl while you make me want to throw bricks?" I finished my rant before realizing what I had just said and my mouth dropped open.

To my surprise a warm smile spread across his beautiful face. "She does have that affect on people." Then he actually chuckled. "As do I, I suppose."

My mouth was involuntarily turning upward when there was a sudden explosion from somewhere above me in the main castle. Both our eyes went upwards, but he managed to recover more quickly than me. In one swift movement, Jasper reached out and grabbed my right wrist, twisting it at an incredibly awkward angle and pulling it up the center of my back. I felt the length of his body press against mine as he leaned in close to me to whisper in my ear.

"Not a war?" There was another earth-shaking explosion in the castle above. "Come on. I want to see my wife."

Then, I really did something strange. Without trying to pull away or struggle in his grasp, I followed him to where his instincts told him Alice was. Jasper bound both of my wrists in one of his hands and pushed me down the shaking corridors. A third explosion echoed loudly and the floor trembled as he used his free hand to open her cell.

In an instant, Alice bounded from the room and into his arms, kissing his lips with fervent passion. It was delicate and sensual and I felt like an intruder. I turned my head to give them privacy for the reunion. The earth around us shook again and a sprinkling of rocks fell from above. Neither Jasper nor Alice noticed anything happening around them, lost as they were in each other's eyes.

After what seemed like too many idle minutes another explosion ripped through the castle above. The ground beneath our feet rose and fell like we were in a canoe during a hurricane. My knees shivered with the shock wave and I would have been dumped on the stone floor had Jasper's quick grip on my wrists not steadied me.

"Where do we go?" He asked, confident Alice would know the answer.

She kissed him again. Short, yet with the ghost of the passion I had witnessed between them earlier. A stab of jealousy flashed through me, but I quickly pushed it down. That wasn't like me at all. The pixie turned around and sprinted through the crumbling corridor.

Of course, I was terrified as Jasper led me through the maze of corridors and sewers toward the streets of Volterra. More than that, I felt the overwhelming sense of loss as I ran. I didn't try to fight his strong grip on me, just followed, watching my beloved home crashing down around me.

There were quite a few times that Alice saved us from a sudden cave-in or falling debris. I was surprised when she cried my name, pausing to turn back. Her shout was barely a whisper in the destruction, but ever in sync with her, Jasper shoved me quickly to the right and out of his grasp. An elephant sized chunk of earth and stone lay in the exact place I was just standing.

Completely frozen in shock, I stared at Jasper who stared right back. He looked unsure of what he should do, having released his hostage to save her. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. The walls were crumbling down around us. Smoke and dust filled the air and there was no breeze to push it away. I didn't know what to do.

"Bella," Alice called me instead of her mate. Jasper and I whipped our eyes around and in the same instant, darted after her again. Jasper reached out and I found myself offering my hand again. As soon as our fingers touched, I felt hope. No matter how wrong it felt to run with them from my home, it also felt very right.

Once we reached the western wall of the city, Alice leaped over with no hesitation. Jasper turned toward me. "Alice likes you. You know that, right?"

"How do you even know?" I wondered. "It wasn't like you two have had time for a conversation."

He grinned broadly and I was momentarily dazzled by the soft expression in his black eyes. "Oh believe me. If she didn't, you never would have made it out of there alive." He winked and was gone, bounding over the stone wall without a second glance.

I, on the other hand, couldn't stop myself from looking back over my shoulder. I could see great columns of smoke rising into the sky, mixing with a muddled brown dust. The haze of burning red flames and the screams of terrified humans made me shudder. As impossible as it was to imagine, my beautiful home now resembled hell.

Turning my eyes, I inhaled deeply and jumped over the wall, unsure what I was doing. Deep down I knew the Volturi would survive the attack. Especially since so many of the guard were scattered around the world extinguishing minor uprisings. Of course, it was all connected, but the fact was, the Cullens had unwittingly saved many more than they had conquered by pulling so many from the city. And the brothers were well protected, so this wouldn't be the end of their empire.

Better than that though, _I_ was leaving. As hard as it was to turn away, at least I would know I was doing everything in my power to prevent the fulfillment of Alice's premonition. If I was nowhere near the brothers, I couldn't cause their world to come crashing down.

It was the only thing I could do.


	5. Distraction

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 5 Distraction**

EPOV

Even without the benefit of tears, Esme was the picture of heartbroken. She had been beside herself for the last week, standing poised at the back window gazing into the darkness of the trees. It was heart wrenching to watch. Each day she fell apart a little bit more. Her hopelessness radiated out, affecting everyone in the house.

Rosalie hated to see anything come between us and worried constantly when our siblings would return and mend our broken family. Emmett tried to be his usual jovial self and lighten our dour moods, but no one paid attention to his antics. He spent most of his time pouting in front of the X-Box, lifelessly engaging in the games he and Jasper had spent countless, mind-numbing hours playing before the world shifted beneath our feet.

Carlisle naturally took Esme's heartache the hardest. He had struggled through centuries of loneliness, desiring more until finally giving into temptation and creating me. Then he found Esme: his love, his light, his _wife_. Nothing completed him the way she did. It was a beautiful, selfless love that outshone even that of my married siblings. His unresponsive bleakness weighed on my mind above the others of my family. Alone in this existence, Carlisle was my anchor. During these immeasurably long days, the man I knew, loved and respected was drowning in sorrow and it was killing me to watch.

Even knowing Alice had foreseen her imminent capture by the Volturi made it no less easy to take. And once Jasper had gone off on his own to find her, I was able to unload the sordid tale on my other family members. Even then, the burden didn't relinquish its hold on me, like I had hoped. Instead, my misery grew, unable to avoid the helpless thoughts bombarding my mind.

I went over everything I knew again, praying that this time I'd see something I hadn't seen before, some clue as to how this would work.

Carlisle and I had been on an extended hunting trip when Esme called. We raced home to find Alice lapsed into a deep trance. Jasper was pacing nervously back and forth as the girls explained she had gone catatonic in the driver's seat of her Porsche while parked in the garage.

"What's she seeing?" Jasper demanded, deciding quickly I was the most likely to provide the answers he desired.

But I couldn't answer him. I was already lost in Alice's mind as it whirled in a frenzy of glimpses from the future. Though the details rearranged themselves over and over, the outcome was constant. My family is annihilated by the Volturi. In some glimpses, different members lay dismembered and burning. Sometimes, Alice sobbed next to the gray columns of smoke as it rose lazily into the air. In other visions even Alice had been torn apart and the entire Volturi Guard watched the extinction of the Cullen family. I was immediately taken with fury at the impending doom of the Cullen family. Jasper stared at me hard.

_What are you seeing_? he hissed in my mind.

I could only shake my head as scene after scene crashed on me like waves over a sinking ship. My knees were becoming weak as the pressure built inside my head. Horror after horror. Death after death. It was dizzying and I felt my body sway. Alice had locked herself in this catatonia to filter through everything, to see it from all angles. She was trying to find hope that we could cling to amidst the chaotic images, but I couldn't take it. The possibilities didn't look good.

All at once the visions ended. Though she didn't stir in the slightest, I heard her familiar voice in my mind. _Don't speak yet, Edward_, she warned. _There is a way to avoid it._

This time it was a single scene. It was simple, but very clear. An attack party surrounded our residence in Forks. Before they have the chance to infiltrate our home, Alice walks from the front door and raises her arms in surrender. Demetri smiles widely as he has her bound by one of the faceless members of the would-be murderers.

I was stunned, but held my tongue as Alice opened her eyes slowly. A flurry of worry and questions ran through my mind, but I pushed it away from my thoughts. Was she crazy, giving herself to protect us? I couldn't let it happen.

_It's the only way_, she thought sadly. I shook my head at her as she briefly met my eye. No one else noticed the silent exchange, absorbed as they were in Alice's present condition.

It was impossible to believe. Any of it. The Volturi was coming down on our peaceful family for no reason other than they felt threatened by diet. We had long been aware they believed Carlisle was building an army to overthrow their tedious hold over the vampire world. Of course it was insanity. Carlisle had turned only four humans and only because we were dying. Jasper and Alice were already vampires when they joined us. There would be no more siblings added, no matter how Carlisle and Esme wished I'd make an effort to find a mate. I just wasn't interested. Now it looked like it didn't matter.

For two days, I mulled Alice's decision over in my mind just like I did now, until we could finally get some time alone. I laid into her as soon as we separated ourselves from the intrusive ears of our family. "You are _insane_! There is no way I'll let you do this, Alice. It's suicide. Jasper will kill me if I let you do this."

"That's why you have to help me Edward. We have to plan perfectly, to get everyone out of the house before they get here. I'll stay behind and-"

"And _what_?" I interrupted angrily. "Feign a headache?"

Alice's eyes immediately brightened as they focused on something not happening in the here and now. She's telling Jasper she has a headache. He kisses her forehead and walks out the front door. She had her excuse, one I unwittingly provided her.

Showing the genuine concern I had, I spoke again, "You realize they'll never let you go."

She stayed silent for a long time, but I understood the direction of her thoughts. There was still a missing element in the outcome. After she is captured by the Volturi, there is nothing. I knew it was because after they had her, the Volturi would be the ones controlling the future. She seemed to believe that was the hope she had been hunting.

I shook my head. "It's too risky. Volterra's prison is beneath the city in an impenetrable maze of caves. Even if we could get in undetected, there are no guarantees I could hear your voice through the miles of rock. You know how iron reacts with our powers."

"Look, Edward, if you want to blab about it to the rest of them, I'll go on my own and intercept them. There's something I can't see and I think it's exactly what we need. We have to keep the family intact-"

"That's what I'm saying!" I had to be careful to keep my voice low, as we were strolling relatively close to the house. "Don't do this, Alice. It will destroy everyone."

She sighed and looked away. "It's the only way," she breathed.

After that, knowing she had already compared a thousand scenes, I grudgingly agreed to follow along, but with a final warning. "Jasper will come for you."

Remaining silent for a long time, Alice finally answered. "That's why you can't mention any of this to him until I'm gone. It'll be less agony that way." She shuddered slightly and I reached over and grabbed her in my arms.

"I will help you, Alice, but this doesn't feel right at all. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Me, too," she whispered and buried her face in my shirt.

Until the day of the incident, Alice put on a very good show, much more convincing than the zombie haze I'd been walking around in. Jasper was suspicious of the constant nervous hopelessness that had started to build inside me. I caught him staring worriedly at his energetic wife as she threw herself into the mundane tasks of daily life with more exhuberence than usual.

I avoided everyone as much as I could until the day we were getting ready to leave. We were set up to take a family trip for a weeklong visit to Denali to visit Tanya's coven. Alice had spun a story so effortlessly on the phone with her that our cousin believed she was the one insisting we come. Naturally, the rest of my family was thrilled at the idea. Alice plunged head first into planning the get-away: a week none of us would ever actually experience.

The morning dawned clear and bright and we began piling ourselves and the fifteen piece luggage set Rosalie insisted on into every single open space in the available cars. We always made our trips to Alaska in two vehicles, our own personal attempt at "staying green."

"Where are Alice and I supposed to sit?" Jasper asked, staring into the backseat of my Volvo. They generally rode with me, being the lesser of two evils as far as the gooey love junk was concerned.

Alice suddenly danced up next to him. "Actually, Jazz, I'm not feeling very well. My head is pounding." She grabbed her head and shook it softly side to side. "I think I'll just lie down for a few hours until I'm feeling better."

Jasper looked over her anxiously and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I'll stay with you, then. We can leave in a few hours," he said. I could see his thoughts were concerned and not the least bit suspicious even though my own mind saw the lie screaming in his face.

Perfectly rehearsed, she said softly, "No. I'll be fine on my own for awhile. Maybe it'll...maybe it'll do some good."

I didn't miss the fact that she hadn't added the word "me" to her statement. "It would do _me_ some good." But no. Alice's plan was far from being beneficial to her.

Jasper glanced at me curiously feeling the disparity spin off at an alarming rate. Not aligning the two facts, he looked back into Alice's face and the smile she pasted onto it. He grinned and winked at his wife, thinking he had discovered her hidden intentions. "You want to drive your car, who am I to say you shouldn't?" He bent low and kissed her with soft passion. It would have broken my heart if it were still capable of beating. As it was, the pure sweetness of it churned my stomach and I had to look away.

The rest of the family remained oblivious to the situation playing out before them. No one shared the least bit of concern for the impending demise of the family as we knew it. I coughed back my moan, but everyone took it as the sign to load ourselves into the cars. Jasper kissed Alice one more time, then dashed around the back of the Volvo and hopped in. My eyes were glued to Alice's as everyone tried to make themselves as comfortable as possible in Carlisle's Mercedes amongst the piles of Rosalie's luggage.

_Tell them I love them,_ she told me.

I pleaded with my eyes for her to reconsider, to climb in the car and run with us. There had to be other choices. This seemed completely ludicrous. Maybe I should just lift her up and throw her in the backseat and leave.

_It'll never work_, she said flashing a quick series of images of our burning bodies.

I sighed and without caring how everyone else would take it, reached over and pulled Alice closer to me. "I love you, little sister," I whispered impossibly soft. She looked up at me, the ghosts of tears that could never fall swimming behind her lashes. She smiled in the radiant way only Alice had and stepped backward, raising her hand to wave us off.

I got in nervously, swallowed, and turned the ignition. As I drove away behind the black Mercedes, Alice sent one last agonized thought to me. _Please keep him safe and don't tell him until it's done._

It took a great deal of effort not to crush the steering wheel as we sped away. Jasper was already staring at me curiously. _What's up, Edward?_

I hesitated, turning onto the freeway headed north. There'd be no way to mask the kind of tension I was feeling from my empathic brother.

"I have the feeling something is going wrong," I finally answered.

"Alice?" he shot back worriedly.

I shook my head back and forth slowly. If I had actually managed to keep a hold of some portion of my soul through this existence, it tore away from me in that moment. That monumental lie ripped away the last of my humanity.

I waited the appropriated two hours before telling them we had to go back. Jasper was instantly nervous, already accusing me with his eyes. I wouldn't have been surprised if he knew everything by that point. The tortured expression I wore as I buried the needle in the little silver Volvo should make all the deception clear.

Of course we had been too late. It's the way she had planned it. By the mixture of scents, they had probably arrived within minutes of our departure. Jasper was beside himself, running off after the fading trail until he lost it halfway to Idaho.

He reappeared the next afternoon after I had told the others exactly what I knew. He walked in the front door and turned his black eyes directly to me. Signs of his furious pursuit were evident in his torn clothing and muddy shoes. The look on his face was half crazed and I felt like slinking into the wall. I deserved whatever punishment he throttled me with.

Never taking his eyes from mine, he sprinted forward. Able to see his plan of attack before he moved, I slipped easily out of his grasp, but he swung back around wildly. One fist connected with my jaw and my body crashed into the coffee table ten feet away. I deserved that and more, but I wanted to tear him apart. Esme was screaming in the background, but the roar of instinct was crashing in my ears.

Recovering quickly, I jumped to my feet, snarling, and Jasper was at me again. I didn't try to get out of his way this time and met his charge with a fist in the face. It took all my effort not to continue tear his head from his neck.

He stood stunned and the entire room was deathly silent. I felt the stares of my family on me, but couldn't look anywhere as Jasper's furious eyes and angry thoughts held me.

Then, Emmett's booming laugh cut through the tension in the air. "Oh, come on, Jazz," he chuckled walking into the midst of our standoff. "You know how Alice is."

My body relaxed as Jasper thought about it_._ He mumbled an apology that I echoed, but never looked at me again. The next day he disappeared too, looking for his captive wife, and the true agony set in for the rest of us. Jasper would be able to find Alice, but I wasn't sure if we would ever see either one of them again.

With the threat of the Volturi still strong in our minds we made the only decision we could. We packed up our things and vacated the States, opting to hide out in Ireland with some old friends of Carlisle's. Luckily, the small Coven had been more or less willing to take on a family of refugees with little more that a raised eyebrow.

It was there that it happened. As we stood around listlessly in the borrowed home, a plan began to form as I watched Emmett with his X-Box.

There had to be some way to get them back. Maggie, Liam and Sebohan had already pledged their help to Carlisle. There were others like us all over the world who felt the way we did. The Volturi were stepping outside their reign and it had to stop, before it got worse. There were others who would be sympathetic to our cause, the Irish and Romanians, as well as Tanya's coven, if no one else.

But we wouldn't need them to fight. We would be calling in other favors, favors that would draw the Volturi Guard outside their castle and make them spread their defenses all over the world.

It happened quickly. The nightly news across the globe began telling strange tales worthy of fantasy novels. One word was on the lips of millions of people worldwide in a few short days. Bhuta, Nahuales, Upyr. It all meant the same thing: _vampire_.

Our friends and acquaintances of the world had been breaking the "rule," calling attention to the life the Volturi had strenuously tried to hide for eons. Slowly, the Guard began scattering itself thin trying to enact justice to the far ends of the earth. Soon we had the opportunity to get into Volterra and take back our family.

We all knew the whole thing was risky beyond belief, but none of us thought for even a moment about not following through. It put our closest friends in danger – hell, we had endangered the entire vampire world with our actions – but it never crossed our minds that it wasn't worth it.

Now, as Esme stood worrying herself sick as she gazed out into the Italian countryside, I dared let hope bubble to the surface. There wasn't much we could do, but hopefully we could give them just the right amount of distraction to get out. After that, we would face our existence on the run, but it was the only chance we had and we were going to take it.

I called out to Emmett. It was time. The siege begins at twilight.


	6. And the walls came tumbling down

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 6 And The Walls Came Tumbling Down...**

EM POV

I walked through the maze of narrow roads and even narrower alleys, while they stalked me from the shadows. Feeling their eyes on me since the moment I entered the city, I was already anticipating the fight. I had promised Rose I would do this without getting cornered, but that was the plan. I just had to lead them as close to the center of the city as possible.

The one promise I couldn't break was the one I made to Carlisle before we left. I told him I would avoid innocents at all costs. That meant racing to the center of the city where the Volturi were more concentrated. The humans naturally chose to settle along the high walls surrounding the city, so hopefully they would remain outside the destruction. It just meant taking me right into the center of the lions' den, so to speak, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I adjusted the backpacks layered across my back and smiled. The weight felt good and my excitement grew. I hoped Edward was almost to the tower, because I was ready to throw down.

"Well, they encourage your complete cooperation. Send you roses when they think you need to smile. I can't control myself, because I don't know how. And they love me for it, honestly. I'll be here for awhile..."

I entered a dark, dead-end alley and lowered one backpack carefully to the ground, I sang into the gloom, egging the Volturi to come out. There were only six creeping in the shadows. Even with their black cloaks blending into the darkness, they didn't have a chance. The shadows separated and began to move toward me. My smile widened.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted all smiles and dimples. The figure closest to me flashed his teeth viciously. "Hey, long time no see, Felix!"

"I'm glad you made it," he answered. "We missed you in Washington."

I laughed aloud. "I bet you did! Well, I'm here now, buddy."

A low growl reverberated through the throats of the others as they fanned out to block me from the exit. I looked around at the faces I didn't recognize. "No Demetri? Well, that's too bad. Maybe you can give him a message for me. I want him to know that kidnapping my little sister was a huge mistake."

Felix just stared at me. "He'll be sorry he missed you."

"That's okay," I smiled. "Just tell how him how it felt."

"How _what_ felt?" he growled.

I wanted to continue to fuck with him, but I judged I only had another three seconds to get out of this alley. Besides, it'd feel much better after I kicked his ass.

I surprised myself with how fast I moved. Edward was usually the quickest, but the way I moved would have impressed even him. Before Felix even had a chance to react I grabbed him by the wrist. I flicked my arm and his hand ripped off into mine. Felix wavered on his feet and stared at me with wide red eyes. I slapped him across the cheek with his amputated appendage and continued to sing.

"So, give them blood. Blood! Gallons of the stuff. Give them all than they can drink, and it will never be enough."

Apparently, they care for my singing. Three of them simultaneously jumped forward. I smoothly ducked away from the first attacker, a crazed albino vamp. Red eyes really completed the pigment-impaired look. He darted back as the others started forward, but I caught him with a backhand, sending him sailing back out the alley and into something that sounded with a large crash.

The other two, both with jet black hair, had traces of the orient in their narrowed eyes. It was too easy to reach out and grab the one on the left by the front of his cloak and throw him over my shoulder. He smacked loudly into the stone wall behind me. I could hear the debris as it crumbled from the stone and fell to the ground, landing on the man now heaped at the bottom.

The other one managed to catch me in the stomach with a hard right hook. I barely felt the punch, but he was staggering backward from the impact, eyes surprised. I smiled again. "So give them blood. Blood. Bloooood!" I sang, grabbing the front of the vampire's shirt and yanking him toward me. "Grab a glass because there's going to be a flood."

At that moment the other two jumped at me. The closest one didn't have a chance to do more than bend his knees before I had his throat in my hand. I quickly wrapped it around the back of his neck and pushed him hard into the other vampire still held grasped in my hand.

"A celebrated man amongst the gurneys, they can fix you proper with a bit of luck."

Their faces collided with a sickening crash and they instantly went limp. There was no time to enjoy my work and ducked as soon as they impacted. Felix was swinging a strong fist through the air at the very spot my face had been an instant before. He growled when he didn't receive the satisfaction of connection and I turned to grin at him.

"The doctors and the nurses they adore me so..."

In my crouched position, I swung a leg around. Felix was thrown to the ground when I knocked his legs from beneath him. I heard a sickening crack and knew his leg had been broken. When he reached for the cracked femur with his recently amputated hand, he let out a pained groan and moved no more.

The last guard standing stared at me. I lifted my hand and in a gesture worthy of the Matrix, beckoned him. The Guard had his most brilliant idea ever and turned, streaking from the alley so fast he was a blur in my eyes. My laughter followed him out. I stood slowly, though I knew there was less than a second to get out. I just couldn't help gloating one last time. Taking two deliberate steps forward, I stared down at Felix. His face was twisted in pain. I chuckled and finished my ode to him.

"But it's really quite alarming, cause I'm such a awful fuck!" I bellowed and planted a sharp kick just below his ribs. The feeling of my boot sinking into his dead flesh was strangely gratifying. "That last bits for Demetri," I said, laughter echoing in the narrow alleyway. He could only manage a weak groan. He wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. At least not in one piece.

Happy to feel the satisfaction that only came with kicking ass, I turned and ran out of the alley. Just as I stepped onto the empty street a roaring explosion shook the ground beneath my feet. The force nearly knocked me to my knees and the building behind me groaned sickly. The entire thing slid from its foundation and toppled to the ground with a thundering crash.

I laughed and took the next right toward my drop off, just begging someone else to mess with me. I grabbed the two remaining straps on my back as another explosion ripped through the city. Edward was starting to unload his arsenal. Thank god Jasper told us how to make these things. What a useless bit of information I never thought I'd need.

Around two more corners, I found myself at the second designated point. To my surprise it was a gang of female guards hovering in the shadows this time. I stretched my lips as far as they'd go, showing off the dazzling dimples and smile. More than a few of them were swooning, but I didn't have the time to provoke them as I had with Felix. Each bomb was more powerful than the one before and soon Edward's second explosion would have the whole city shaking on its foundation.

It was time to think fast and plant the backpack by the back door of the prison, hopefully creating an easy exit point for Jasper and Alice. That was, of course, if they could even escape from their cells. We knew that there wouldn't be enough time to seek them out down there and were relying on Alice's foresight to know what was coming. It all depended on her. I just had to wreak havoc topside so she could make it happen.

As I stepped into the gray light filtering between the high buildings, I analyzed everything in the alley. There were trashcans strewn about, along with a littering of trash, all planted to give the impression of humanity but way too orderly to be actual garbage. Roughly 30 feet from the ground was edge of a balcony. Another was situated slightly to the right and another 20 feet or so above that. Lastly, I rested my eyes on the solid iron door the women guarded. It wouldn't be pleasant to have any piece of that obliterated shrapnel hit my body during the explosion. Not that it could penetrate my skin, but sharp bits of iron flung through the air at that velocity would definitely smart. I instantly formed plan B.

"Well, hello, ladies," I said in a low bedroom voice. One woman snapped her teeth together sharply, but they didn't seem to be overly alarmed at my presence. "I seem to have gotten lost. And with all the excitement around here today, I'm starting to get frustrated."

A woman with long dark hair stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. She smiled seductively. "Where is it you're going, sweetie?" she cooed.

My smile widened. "The prison," I answered, voice still hushed.

Another earth rattling explosion ripped through the city. Edward had hit his second target. The women shifted their gazes around nervously and I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"What the hell is this?" A voice sneered as the door was flung open. It was a face I'd recognize anywhere, though I had never seen it before.

The girl had short, mousy blond hair and stood less than five feet tall. It was obvious when she stepped into the alley that the others were terrified of her. They parted the semi circle in front of the door and the black haired woman with her hand on my arm took two hasty steps backward to join the others. They all shared a similar look of having been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Now, I knew I had to tread lightly. I was more edgy around this little thing than big, bad Felix.

"Do you know who this is?" She hissed at the females. They shifted even farther away from the tiny vampire, as she strode forward.

Shit, too late. She knows who I am. I guess the time for conversation is over. I didn't give the cherub-faced girl a chance to say anything else. I whipped the backpack from my back and released the detonator as I flung it as hard as I could into little Jane's chest. She exhaled loudly, but I didn't look back. I had already leaped upward and was standing onto the lowest balcony.

As I prepared to jump to the next one, I peered down at the stunned girl. I watched her unzip the bag, revealing the thick metal tube covered with an assortment of twisted colored wires. It immediately registered what she was holding in her hands. The air seemed to shiver and I knew she was throwing her power at me. Luckily, it wasn't penetrating the concrete below my feet.

Knowing there was no time to waste I sprung upwards again, caught the ledge of the next balcony, and swung myself easily over the railing. I continued up the side of the building this way, listening to the distressed voices from below.

"Take it! I thought you were the munitions expert!" Someone was shouting.

"Right, like we need an exp-" The second voice was cut off with a piercing shriek. Jane must have turned her fury onto the second speaker.

I let my chuckles float down to them, as I stood perched on the edge of the roof like a gargoyle. "Whatever you do," I called down, "don't cut the blue one!"

With one last laugh, I turned and flew across the building. It was much easier to navigate the city and its winding streets from this vantage. But not safer. As the explosion erupted to my south, the building I was running atop shook and quivered violently from the shock waves. It was much worse high in the air and I was flung to my hands and knees, nearly skidding over the edge. The entire building beneath me groaned. This ancient shit didn't stand a chance.

Another explosion ripped through the air. In less than 20 minutes, the entire city was aflame. Maybe I'd gotten a little out of hand building the damn things, but hell, it was worth it. As I streaked back toward the western wall of the city, I hoped Edward had gotten out and was already waiting for me and prayed that Rose had stayed put. I knew she hadn't liked the decision to leave her with the cars, but there weren't other options. I couldn't risk having her hurt, even if she was by far more of a warrior than Emo-Eddie would ever be. He just had his stealth and that was more than enough for me to agree he should enter the city instead my wife.

I glanced over my shoulder before ducking down another alley. I was back on the ground, after being thrown from a rooftop following the final detonation. There were a dozen or so Guards chasing me out in the open. It seemed the females had escaped from the prison unharmed and been joined by others who gave little thought about the exposure. Their black cloaks whipped in the air as they followed behind. Their skin sent jets of light dancing everywhere. So much for the law, I guess. They were just getting too close and I was afraid they'd catch up to me by the time I reached the cars. Then everyone would be fucked.

Think, Emmett, think. All the buildings here are crazy old. It should be easy enough...

Without another thought, I slammed my fist into the jam of a door way. It took little effort to yank out a huge section of stone and one of the structural supports. It was a shame to have to destroy a piece of history, but, well, there you have it. It is what it is.

I managed to jump out of the way, just as the entire building gave way and crashed into the alley. It collided into the neighboring structure causing it to groan in protest over the tons of weight pressing against its walls. It began tipping dangerously to the side. The second building suddenly fell into another, beginning the unexpected domino effect. That ought to hold them.

In one easy leap I cleared the city wall and realized I had misjudged the point of exit by about a half mile. No matter. I could see Rose. Jasper and Alice were standing beside the Porsche with a brunette stranger. Rosie was snarling at her. My face brightened. Behind the wall, the sounds of my pursuers shifting through the mounds of rubble reminded me of the situation.

"Get in!" I shouted at them as I rushed forward. "Hurry! _Go_!"

Without a moment hesitation, Rose slid into the driver's seat and I flung the passenger door open. She was racing down the road before I had the chance to reach back over and slam the door shut.

I whooped loudly as the countryside streaked past us and leaned in to place a kiss on Rose's soft neck. "I did it, baby" I said, all smiles and dimples. I knew she was brooding. Probably over the new girl, but I saw how Jasper yanked her in the car and knew she wasn't here for a social visit. I needed to lull Rosie out of her mood. I had a better place for her to focus her attention.

She looked over at me and I saw her facade crack as she returned my grin with a breath-taking one of her own. "You did." She winked. Nice. An ego stroke to be sure, but I had a stroke of a different sort in mind. She immediately noticed the change in my face as I devoured her with hungry eyes.

Laughing she said, "Not while I'm driving," and threw a playful slap at my chest.

I captured her wrist in my hand and brought it to my lips. As gently as I could, I pressed my lips to the back of her hand. Her eyes twinkled seductively. She flipped her blinker and swerved into the left lane to pass another car. Without breaking my gaze she slipped back into the right lane of the highway, just in time to avoid a collision with an oncoming truck.

I slowly placed kisses down her hand, turning her wrist back over. With a light bite, I nipped at the inside of her wrist. She moaned as I continued down the inside of her arm to the crease of her perfectly sexy elbow and back to the delicate skin below her palm. The wheels of the car swerved a bit as she momentarily lost her focus. I snickered and turned my face back to smiles and dimples, which always left her breathless.

Surprising me, she quickly twisted her hand around in an impossible feat of physics and snatched my face, pinching the corners of my mouth until my lips puckered into a fishy pout. "You think you deserve something for acting stupid, don't you?"

I tried to smile back at her, but the grip on my cheeks denied it, so I settled on nodding my head. The sweetest laughter filled the car. "I think _I'm_ the one who should be rewarded," she continued smiling with pure wickedness. "After all, I didn't charge in after you."

She released me and turned her eyes forward again. My mind was swirling with the ways I could certainly compensate my wife for her unrelenting patience as I got to play mercenary. I apologized mentally to Edward who was no doubt getting quite the view of my fantasies from the car behind us, but I didn't stop them. I just started whispering into Rose's ear about all the rewards I would give her as soon as we were alone.

**A/N: The song Emmett is singing is Blood by My Chemical Romance. I know it makes no sense, but I imagined him fighting with that tune playing in his mind, and it just made me giggle.  
**

**Also, I apologize for my lack of explosive knowledge. I AM NOT A CHEMISTRY MAJOR! I thought about trying to look up how to make bombs, but thought I might be breaking the Patriot Act or something. Next thing I know, a bunch of men in black suits come to ship me to Guantanamo Bay. So, it is vague, but I was hoping it wouldn't detract too much from the action. We don't need to know how he made them or what's in them, only that they explode. Please keep that in mind for the next chapter too!**


	7. Flight

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 7 Flight**

Thinking that I left to protect the Brothers made it easier to look up once I landed softly on the far side of the wall. Alice was standing by Jasper, his arm thrown around her waist as he tried to nudge her into the backseat of a yellow Porsche. There was a second car, a midnight blue Ferrari, parked in front of it. That engine was already running and I could make out the profile of a female driver.

Then I heard the voice.

Soft like velvet, smooth like satin, inspiring like music. My eyes whipped back to the Porsche to seek out the owner of the most amazing voice I had ever heard. When I saw him, my knees went weak. I stopped my slow approach and stared at the most brilliant sight I had ever beheld. He was running long fingers through his unnatural bronze hair, staring off in the distance. He wore a troubled look as he spoke.

"Where is he?"

I gasped aloud and his head flicked toward me in surprise. I suddenly found myself staring into a set of deep golden eyes. As he met my gaze, I could feel a powerful pull toward him. I wanted to run to him and throw myself into his arms and melt away. It was so strong I had to wonder if that was his power. I shook my head throwing my shield further out from me to block him. When the feeling didn't fade, I had to force my eyes away. Alice was smiling at me, but Jasper was looking in the direction the other one had been looking a second ago.

"_Who is that_?" An unfamiliar voice hissed.

Turning, I saw the driver of the Mercedes stepping out, eyes narrowed and fixed on me. The look she wore would have put any of Caius' to shame and that was saying something. The long legged blond sneered and I was instantly reminded of Heidi, though they looked nothing alike. Each was tall, leggy and bursting with venom.

My own lips curled back from my teeth and I growled at her. Suddenly there was a hand on my elbow. Jasper grabbed me again. I set my furious gaze on him, but he laughed. "She's our prisoner of war," he called over my shoulder.

"Bella's special," Alice added. "She's the key to everything."

"I don't even want to know what you're talking about. This is not a good idea," the blond hissed.

"Relax, Rose," Jasper intervened. I immediately felt the effects of his power sweep over me. It made me wonder why I was having such a hard time blocking today. I was just shaky. My whole life was crashing down around me. I had every right to feel a little off.

"Get in!" Someone shouted from behind. "Hurry! _Go_!"

I turned to see a man the roughly the size and shape of Felix running like mad toward us. With no hesitation, the Cullens began to pile in the cars. Jasper hopped in the backseat after Alice. Without letting go of my arm, he pulled me inside, snapping the front seat into position as he went. The bronze haired one reached across me and pulled the door shut with a quick snap. His arm brushed my breast as he withdrew it, lingering a little longer than necessary. My skin tingled beneath his touch and I sucked in a breath. What was with this guy? I didn't like the way my stomach was flipping and the look on his perfect face only made it worse. One eyebrow was raised, curious, but as soon as I moved my eyes to his, he narrowed them. He looked like he hated me and an uncomfortable insecurity wound around me.

I glanced away in time to see the other man rush past out window and fling himself into the passenger seat of the Ferrari. I was immediately pushed back against the seat as the Porsche accelerated the same instant the other car did. In a matter of seconds, we wound our way down Mount Volterra and were zig-zagging in and out of traffic on the road.

Alice and Jasper whispered sweetness to each other occasionally, but for the most part were quiet. I could imagine how the reunion must have felt. The man driving – the perfect man who looked more godlike than any being had the right – was completely silent. Try as I might, I couldn't keep my eyes from returning to his angular jaw, creamy white neck that disappeared into the bright white collar of his shirt...

But every time I glanced in his direction, I caught him looking back at me. Sometimes he looked plainly interested and others downright furious. Overall, he just looked confused. Finally, I turned my head toward the window and let my hair cascade in between us like a wall. Stare at that all you want.

We drove for hours in the mindless silence. I was beginning to wonder what I was doing here. I didn't belong with these silent beings. And that blond had seemed pretty threatening. I'd hate for Jasper and Alice to go through all this trouble, just to have me kill the other sister. That thought made me smile, and I spent awhile thinking of all the scenarios where I would be able to gloat over her lifeless body.

I was interrupted by the low chime of a cell phone. The driver took a small silver phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen on the front. "It's Carlisle," he said, that musical voice sending shivers through my body. He immediately flipped it open. "Carlisle."

I heard the voice on the other line. It was soft and cut in and out, but it sounded exactly like what it was. The past. "Edward," it said. "Is it done?"

_Edward_.

"Yes, we're on our way now." The man next to me answered.

I could barely discern the sigh Carlisle released, though the sense of relief was evident. "And Alice? Jasper?" He wondered.

Edward smiled a crooked grin that made me want to reach over and kiss it right off his face. "Perfect," was his answer. I closed my eyes again. What was with me today?

"Thank god!" Carlisle said, softly. "We've been so worried."

"Tell him not to, but have Esme ready so we can leave as soon as we get there. Demetri will be tracking us by dawn," Alice chimed in from the back. She slid forward to rest her head on my seat and looked at Edward. I instinctively scooted away from her, pressing my back against the window.

She smiled. "I'm not going to bite you," she said. "Though, I thought about it after you attacked Jasper."

My eyes shifted to her mate. He winked at me again.

"Did you get that?" Edward asked the phone.

There was a slight pause before the voice asked, "Who else is there?"

The car was eerily silent as they decided what to tell Carlisle about their little souvenir from Volterra. Edward held up the phone to Alice, who immediately slipped deep into the tiny backseat. Her dark eyes were wide as she shook her head vigorously.

"Edward," the voice on the line threatened.

"We're almost there. You can discuss it with Alice when we see you," the bronze haired god said, closing the phone quickly. I involuntarily flicked my eyes back on him. I drank him in as he signaled the next right and exited the freeway. "Why is it you don't want to explain this little," he gestured toward me, unable to find the right word to describe me. I thought of a million: enemy, liability, _monster_. Edward seemed to switch the flow of his thoughts. "Why won't you explain yourself to Carlisle?"

Alice was silent. We both turned in our seats to look at her. Her face was riddled with guilt and she was determinedly not looking at either of us. "_What!" _Edward suddenly hissed.

His eyes were burning into me. I tried not to look at him. His anger made me nervous, and it seemed to be building in the air. Jasper reached forward and put a steady hand on Edward's shoulder. As quickly as it had come, the tension dissipated, and was replaced by a sense of peace. I growled a warning at him, despite the euphoria I felt, and Jasper reigned back a bit.

Edward returned his eyes to the road in front of us, attempting not to look back in my direction, so I allowed myself to stare at him. I wasn't sure why he spit at Alice that way, but it made the twisting in my stomach harder to bare.

So involved in studying him, I didn't even notice where we were heading. When the tires left the pavement, I finally tore my eyes away, looking over a huge empty space. Far in front of us was a small plane. Even from this distance I could hear the engines rumbling, ready for takeoff. I suddenly panicked. This was the already the farthest I had ever been out of Volterra in my entire existence. If they thought they could drag me anywhere in _that_, well, they had another thing coming.

"What are we doing here?" I already knew the answer.

"We have to leave the country, Bella. We'll be too easy to spot right under their noses. The Volturi are a lot of things, but dumb is not one of them. They're going to know exactly who's responsible for this." Alice's voice was gentle, but it wasn't enough.

"_I don't think so_," I snarled at her.

"It isn't like you have a choice," her mate answered, a smile in his voice.

I turned to look at him, narrowing my eyes. "There's always a choice," I hissed at him.

"Not this time," Edward whispered.

I looked around happy to have the excuse to stare at him again, no matter if I was seconds away exploding.

"Now look here-" I started, but suddenly found myself being pulled upward and away from the car by a massive pair of arms. I hadn't even realized we'd stopped driving. "Let me down!" I shrieked furiously, but it was no use. The huge brother had my arms pinned against my body, and was carrying me like a football to the plane on the unkempt runway.

My legs flailed uselessly in the air a good five feet from the ground. I kicked them out in a frenzy, but was unable to connect with the brute. Another pair of strong hands suddenly had my ankles. I jerked my head up and saw Jasper locking my legs in his tight grasp. A feral growl rumbled in my throat. Summoning all my strength, I lashed out with my power. Like a rubber band, it shot out and slapped their faces. It was hard enough to sound above the roar of the engines and Emmett released me in shock, reaching for the welt forming across his cheek.

Jasper couldn't support my body by only my ankles and I fell in an ungraceful heap to the ground. I kicked again, my shoe slipping off into a surprised hand and threw myself to my feet, landing in a crouched position. The venom pooled in the back of my throat as I stared down my opponents.

"I told you if you touched him again, Bella, I wouldn't let you off so easily," Alice growled at me.

Both Alice and the leggy blond were standing in front of the others. If Alice looked angry, the other looked simply murderous. It would only take one crack to the face to make me feel better. See, it didn't have to be Jasper. I'd settle for the big one or the blond. Just a swift kick in the nose and all could be right with the world.

The blond was snarling openly, taking slow deliberate steps toward me. As the immediate risk, I narrowed my eyes at her and prepared for her lunge. Suddenly, a voice too familiar, too bittersweet, breathed my name. "_Isabella_?"

Before straightening from my fighting stance I took two deep breaths to calm myself. Slowly, I turned my eyes and saw him: as golden as he had been nearly two centuries ago.

"Carlisle," I sighed, not sure how seeing his face again after all this time was affecting me. Standing at his side was Edward, looking between us in open shock. Then, a set of broad arms wrapped around my body again and carried me to the plane. This time I didn't struggle. It took everything I had not to start sobbing.

Absolutely _not_ like me at all.

"You're a wily one aren't you?" The huge one chuckled. My entire body shook with his laughter.

His blond walked next to him, glaring at me. "You touch any of them again, I'll rip your head from that pretty little throat," she hissed.

The big one laughed again, climbed aboard the plane, and dumped me unceremoniously onto one of the seats. I quickly took in my surroundings, a feeling of claustrophobia creeping over me. Not to mention spending hours crossing and ocean trapped in here with Carlisle... and Edward. I closed my eyes tightly at that thought. I didn't even know Edward. Why did _he_ make me feel so uncomfortable?

My knees bounced nervously as I looked around at the faces of my captors, all too aware of the irony that _I_ had been captor only a few short hours ago. The big one settled across from me, next to the blond, and eyed me with a bemused expression on his face. He whispered quietly to the female.

I realized my first impression of him wasn't accurate in the slightest. I had taken him for being the same build as Felix. Now that I saw him sitting still, I was aware how wrong I was. He was absolutely huge. I even had to wonder how he fit in the small seat, but he looked far from uncomfortable. One massive arm was thrown around his wife's shoulder, who never took her glaring stare from me, and he engaged in a conversation with Jasper who was seated to my direct right. Alice danced her way next to him and their fingers entwined as she smiled brightly.

Carlisle came in with another female – his mate, I guessed – but they walked past us and into the cockpit without a word. Carlisle tried to catch my eye as he walked by, but I turned them to the ground and they passed in silence. I was struck by the characteristics this mock family share, a characteristic Jasper and Alice would share again once they fed. All four sets of eyes had a bright, golden glow to them, a tribute to their lifestyle.

I was distinctly aware of the bronze haired one as he slouched into the seat to my left. I felt his eyes – the most brilliant gold of all – penetrate me, but resisted the urge to turn. I realized what was happening. How stupid I had been for not seeing it earlier. He was the mind reader. And I had been foolish enough to sit next to him, with my shield on the fritz. I had practically handed him my mind for the last few hours. The idea sickened me and I had to look away. Instead, I concentrated harder than was strictly necessary to the others' conversation.

"So cool, Emmett! The bombs were amazing. You did perfectly," Jasper was commending the big one. "I'm surprised you were able to get your hands on the nitrate compound. It's been banned in 39 countries."

"Yeah, well, lucky for us, Italy isn't one of them," Emmett answered with a huge smile. Dimples puckered in his cheeks. Along with his dark curly hair, he looked like an overgrown toddler.

"Well, it went magnificently," Alice joined. "The plan was brilliant, Edward."

At the sound of his name being spoken, my eyes flicked toward the vampire next to me. My stomach fluttered uncomfortably, but I didn't turn away. Mostly, because he didn't look back at me right away. He engaged in pleasantries with his coven. Suddenly, a completely radiant smile spread his full lips and I felt myself slipping away; almost like I was going to faint. He flashed it directly at me.

"I'm curious and I'm sure the others are too," he started smoothly. The velvety tone sent shivers up and down my arms. "How is it _you_ ended up here?"

The way he asked felt like a slap across my face. His smile became a sneer and he stared into my eyes. His had been a deep gold earlier, but now flashed with electric black. I knew the thirst couldn't have taken him so fast. No, Edward was angry; _furious_. And he glared at me. Couldn't he just see in my thoughts that I had no idea? It was all some stupid mistake that I was regretting more and more every second.

I felt like my instincts were finally up to par again and I stared back, allowing my own eyes to flash the anger I felt. Somehow, today had gone in a million directions and I was reeling. Impossibly, I had gone from being a part of the Elite Volturi Guard, to willingly leaving the city with two escaped prisoners, then being forcefully trapped on a small jet. Not the most ideal of evenings. To make it worse, Carlisle was here. And this Edward was making me jumpy. My aggression was building the more I thought about all the things that had gone wrong tonight.

"Now's not the time, Edward," Jasper whispered, maybe picking up on how volatile my mood was becoming.

"There's no better time than the present," the blond suddenly spoke up. She was still glaring, but that was easier to bear than the look that Edward was burning me with.

Jasper moved his hand to my shoulder and I felt myself calming immediately. He smiled and caught my eye.

"Not here, Rosalie," Alice hissed back at the leggy female. I was silently thanking her. Jasper or no that one was getting on my nerves.

"I think I need some time alone." I quickly rose and took a step toward the door that separated us from the luggage area.

In an instant, everyone was on their feet and Rosalie was snarling again. My body instinctively fell into an attack stance. Emmett pushed his way in the front of the blond and Alice, while Jasper and Edward flanked his sides. They worked together like a machine. I retreated a half step. The back of my legs pressed against the bottom of the seat. There was nowhere to run.

Like one of the shock-waves from the bombs earlier, a feeling of calm slammed into me. My body automatically relaxed, but my mind stayed intent on the fight. Jasper stepped forward from his family, holding up a hand slowly in a gesture to match the mood he was creating.

"Peace, Bella," he said, softly. "I'll sit with you awhile."

I weighed my other options briefly, knowing it was the best idea. I wasn't afraid of Jasper. He didn't wish me harm, no matter how much he should. After all, I had been ready to execute him, for no other reason than I had been told to do so. I examined his expression as he reached out for me. He winked again and with a quick glance at Alice's expectant face, I followed Jasper to the back of the plane. He closed the door behind us.

"You're confused," Jasper said, settling his body on top of a large red trunk. Refusing to sit, I nervously paced back and forth in front of him. His eyes followed my path for awhile before he spoke again. "I'm not sure what the connection is between you and Carlisle, but it's stronger than I expected. I'd say he's very pleased to see you."

"Oh, I'm sure," I mumbled, but added, "What exactly am I feeling?" I couldn't decipher my own emotions. He might be able to pick them apart for me.

"It's actually difficult to pinpoint your individual emotions," he answered as he turned his eyes upward in concentration. "It probably has something to do with that shield you snapped us with earlier."

I ducked my head sheepishly, but Jasper chuckled. "You're anxious."

"I've been kidnapped!" I shot back.

His smile was still easy. "Yes, but I felt it as soon as you left the city."

In the following silence, I nodded. "You're right. I've never even been outside Volterra before."

"And you're claustrophobic?"

Now I smiled back at him. "Not exactly, but I do have issues flying across large bodies of water in a tin can. What else?"

"Anger," he said simply.

I huffed out a breath and threw my arms up impatiently. "Of course, I'm angry."

"But you've always been angry. I felt that the first time we met. It's so ingrained in you. There's that, and..." he hesitated trying to name another emotion.

I thought it just as he said it. "Guilt."

"Black eyes stared into mine and I nodded, "Yes." I finally breathed. "You're very perceptive."

Perhaps understanding my reluctance to continue on that path, Jasper went on trying to pick apart the flurries of emotions swirling inside my cold body. "Then there's lust."

Jasper's laughter rolled from him. All I could do was stare at him, mouth agape. But who was I trying to kid? We can't hide our thoughts to ourselves. _He_ already knew. And if it hadn't come from Jasper and his laughing fit, it most certainly came from my own mind.

"Tell me about the others," I asked him.

His mood sobered immediately. "Why?"

There were a million reasons spinning through my brain like wildfire, most having to do with that incredibly sexy creature out there, but I didn't trust myself to speak them aloud, so I shrugged.

After a silent moment, Jasper said, "I want you to be comfortable, Bella."

I pondered his statement and retorted with the same word he had used. "Why?"

He answered in one quick breath. "Alice."

Not what I had expected at all. "Like that explains anything," I groaned exasperatedly.

"It explains _everything_," Jasper insisted. "Alice doesn't do anything without reason."

After that, we sat in silence for a long time. I tried not to let the dips and falls of the plane work me up too much, but Jasper stayed in control and I managed to relax enough to finally sit down, joining him on the trunk.

"What's going to happen now?" I finally asked.

"We'll find somewhere to hide and figure that out."

"What about me?" I pressed.

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know. It depends on why you did come with us."

There it was. The reason I tried to run away from the others. Now I was about to lay my speculations on Jasper. And that's all they were. Guesses. "I'm not sure what the real reason I let you lead me from Volterra . I just knew I had to go. At first, it was Alice. I couldn't get her out of my mind. It was infuriating. Then you," I looked at him apologetically. "I used you as an outlet for that. I couldn't bring myself to attack her. Not that I know the reason behind that either. She saw a vision about my future, _supposed_ future and I was determined not to let it happen. All of that drew me, but it's not the reason I left."

He looked at me intently. "Why then?"

"I don't know." My voice was the slightest of whispers, but he heard and nodded.

"What did she see?"

I told him something else. Again, not knowing why I would, but it felt immediately better to do so. "I was born in France. The brothers were much younger then. New to their power, and still trying to conquer. Aro had chosen me as a human, aware of my power even then. He had saved me alone, destroying all the humans from my village. Caius had seen me as a threat to the brothers' power, but Aro nurtured me himself, raised me from a child, and changed me when I turned 18. All the while he kept me safely hidden away from any attacks Caius might have sent my way. After my change, I was a natural. Having being raised to accept my fate, I never suffered the wild neophyte craze."

Jasper flinched slightly at that and I stored it away, continuing, "I moved easily through the ranks of Guardsmen and ended up where you found me. Or should I say where I found you?" I hesitated, deciding not to tell him how high I had actually climbed up the Volturi social ladder. I wasn't entirely sure why I neglected to add that crucial fact, when I so willingly gave him all the others. He would realize soon enough. With the mind reader and Alice, it would hardly be a secret.

"Alice saw me destroy the brotherhood," I finally whispered. Jasper's eyes grew wide for an instant, before he composed himself again.

"And this '_supposed_ future'?" he asked carefully. "What does this mean to you?"

I was quiet for awhile as I mulled it over. "It meant enough for me to leave," I finally told him. "It meant enough that I wasn't going to stay there knowing what I could be capable of. Understand, that had been my whole life. I don't want to be the one that condemns it."

My voice had started to rise as I spoke and Jasper, feeling my mood start to spin toward uncontrollable, stunned me with relaxation. I slumped backwards, letting my back rest against the smooth metal of the plane. He was silent for the rest of the flight and I closed my eyes and imagined I was anywhere in the world other than right there at that moment.

I felt completely embarrassed that I had spilled my life story to this stranger; that Edward could hear all of my thoughts; that Carlisle was less than 30 feet from me, with his _mate_.

What the hell was I thinking leaving Volterra? At least there I had some control over my life. Now, I was stepping out into the unknown.


	8. Memories

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 8 Memories**

EPOV

I was livid, but not sure where to specifically direct it. First, tiny little Alice. Annoying, spastic _Alice_! She had returned from her little imprisonment with a souvenir. Not that Jasper was any better. They acted like it was no big deal having a Volturi Guard on our plane. Then, Jasper dragged the girl into the luggage compartment like a caveman. It was repulsive, disgusting. Yet, Alice hadn't minded in the least. Neither had the girl.

She was the one I really wanted to hate. She was a mean-spirited, torturous, beautiful, perfect monster. Both Jasper and Alice had suffered from their internment. This girl could have killed them, yet they treated her like gold. It was sickening. Even level-headed Jasper. I couldn't help but wonder if the beautiful vixen had some acute power of attraction. I know I had felt it the second my eyes met hers. The fact that her thoughts were silent to me was giving me a headache, which only incensed me further. Why was she the only being, alive or dead, that I couldn't hear? There was nothing from her and it was infuriating.

I was growing more and more restless. Desperately trying to tune out Alice and Rosalie's endless prattle, I paced back and forth between the seats and attempted to pick up anything of the conversation behind those doors. I could hear nothing from the luggage area. Perhaps the girl had the power to block others' thoughts. Then again, Jasper maybe trying to block me. To make the pounding in my head worse, Alice was bombarding me with visions and ideas she'd had while in Volterra.

In my attempts to ignore her, I rested my head against the cool metal of the door separating us from the cockpit. Through Carlisle and Esme's thoughts I could see the blanket of dark sky ahead, just beginning to gray around the edges. We were fleeing from the inevitable sunrise. It was an ominous feeling. Carlisle rested his hand on Esme's knee, while she chatted animatedly with the Greenland ground control, requesting permission to land. Carlisle reminisced silently, but the story was not unfamiliar to any of us. He had always been open about his past. Now, I found myself angry that he had been and I knew this woman, this Bella, from his memories. I could see her as she truly was, but wanted to believe none of it.

And all of it made me furious with Carlisle most of all. Furious his memories nailed the personality, but dulled the person. In his mind, she had always been beautiful, but it hadn't compared with the way he viewed Esme. It was obvious that to Carlisle, there was no doubt where his heart belonged.

In person, Bella was flawless. Truly a devil in angel's clothing. Her pale smooth skin had the texture of silk. It had taken everything I had not to reach out to touch her while in the car. Just the memory of grazing Bella's breast as I shut the door made my jeans tighten considerably. It had felt like a zap of electricity shot between us. And that was through her shirt, thin as it might be. I could only imagine what it might feel like to touch her bare flesh. The idea made me shudder.

Over one hundred years of existence I had seen hundreds of thousands of women. None had sparked a passion so fierce, so strong as this one. Knowing everything that had happened between my father and Bella made it feel even worse. Esme wasn't jealous in the slightest that Carlisle's old flame was sitting less than 50 feet away from them. It didn't make sense that my own jealousy should be boiling over.

It didn't help that I had seen Carlisle touch her in the way I found myself desiring. He'd whispered sweetly into her ear, kissing her neck between words; felt her strong fingers slide through his golden hair. He'd run his hands down her silken plait; had her lips press urgently against his; felt her naked body slide the length of his; made her moan his name in passion.

But it was none of these memories he revisited as we flew through the air toward Greenland. He was remembering his last day with Bella. The day everything between them changed.

"I'm home," he called softly into the darkened and sparsely furnished home they had once shared.

He was anxious to see her as always. Above all else, Bella had passion. She was the first vampire Carlisle had felt any kind of connection with. Not that it compared to what he felt toward Esme, or any of us, for that matter, but it was a unique bond, one that he had never had with another woman except Esme. He loved her.

I watched his memory step through the door and I could feel it: excitement, nervousness, _love_. My last hope lay in the fogged memories, in which Bella hadn't been in love with him, either. Carlisle remembered her desire for him, her passion, but he never saw more than lust in her sexy stares and perhaps she could just feel the same pull to Carlisle that we all did. It was hard to ignore such a pure spirit.

Carlisle dropped an arm full of books onto the lone table. Bella stepped elegantly into the room. I was able to see her clearly now. The image of perfection was no longer dulled by Carlisle's mind. She smiled, but I realized as Carlisle did, it wasn't a warm greeting.

"Where have you been?" She demanded, her voice ringing with anger.

Carlisle sighed, stepping closer. "Hunting."

Bella's eyes flashed dangerously. I immediately marveled at the clear bright red that blazed from them. She had fed recently.

"_Of course_," she hissed back. Even in the sarcastic tone, it sounded like music. "You were supposed to meet me at the tower."

The relationship they had was built purely on passion, but that easily transferred from their lovemaking to their arguments. Carlisle rarely won. But the topic they were approaching was quickly steering toward unfamiliar water. She had so far left him alone with his chosen lifestyle, aside from some teasing bedroom talk. Now, as she eyed him angrily, Carlisle knew a flood gate had been opened. Whatever tolerance she had shown was quickly fading.

Carlisle's shoulders slumped a fraction. "Why? So Aro's brother can belittle me?" His voice stayed as calm as ever amid the tension that was building between them.

With an effort to calm the situation, Carlisle opened his arms, palm up in a defeated gesture. She gnawed absently on her lip, obviously trying to think it over. From other memories, I knew she was stubborn, but not unwilling to listen to reason.

"It was a genuine offer," she finally soothed, but it was obvious she had been humiliated by his absence.

Carlisle closed the space between them in one long stride, slipped his hands inside the opening of her dark cloak and around her thin waist. He looked into her eyes, feeling torn. It wasn't the first time he wondered how they could ever stay together. Bella and her lust for human blood counterbalanced his own desire to help humanity. But he held faith that she would eventually see, would eventually convert. He had always thought he could wait.

"Everyone was there," Bella continued quietly. "The brothers, the entire Guard, and they brought in genuine Americans. They were simply fabulous."

In the here and now, the thought made Carlisle's stomach churn, but he pushed it away.

"You know I can't-"

"Can't!" She suddenly shouted, pushing him away forcefully. "You mean _won't_. Why are you being so damn stubborn, Carlisle? Quit trying to deny your instincts. Don't fight against your nature."

Carlisle sighed. "You know I can't do that. The utter disregard for life here is stifling. Worse than that, being here, in the center of some of the most atrocious acts of mankind, is driving me insane."

A sneer stretched across Bella's beautiful skin. Though it looked simply wicked, it did nothing to lessen her beauty. "Do you know why there was such an elaborate feast tonight, Carlisle?"

He shook his head, keeping his eyes on Bella's which were growing wilder by the second. "In honor of my induction into the Elite," she hissed at him. "You weren't even there to show me support."

"I don't support it." It was the first time I had seen Carlisle's eyes flash with anger. "How could I? You're destroying what I want to save. Our kind has the ability to save life as much as take it, Bella, and I want to believe I was given these senses to rise above my nature; to use it for another purpose. Everything you do goes against what I feel is right. I can't pretend it doesn't get to me."

"Oh, and it's been peaches and cream for me, then? Do you realize how humiliating it is to know I'm the one everyone talks about? Because I'm the one who fucks the nut?"

Her insult felt like a slap. "Aro told you he thought it was commendable, what I'm trying to do."

She snorted. "And you don't see the warning? He said it for my benefit, so I would know. They don't trust you already, Carlisle, and you haven't been here long. Without me, they'd have destroyed you long ago."

Carlisle stared at her, understanding dawning. She was right. He had been very naive to trust Aro. Aro would never approve of his choice to savor life. It was too far beyond the Brothers' realm of control. He existed free from the primal urges they knew and that scared them. Bella was the only thing keeping him alive inside Volterra's walls.

He thought about how her urges screamed for sex, for passion on a bestial level. As a man, Carlisle willingly complied, but more than anything, he wanted to build a relationship based on love, trust and respect. Those were not qualities Bella freely shared, nor did most of their kind. That was the only reason he had tolerated. It was in those tense moments that Carlisle truly pieced his own desires together. More than anything he wished to be loved because of what he was, not despite it. He made a spur of the moment decision that ultimately changed his entire life.

"Let's leave Volterra."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's just leave and get away from this. We could be happy." It was only a partial truth. They could be happy. For awhile. That truth was something of which they both were constantly aware.

"How can you ask me to leave?" Carlisle looked away from the goddess, a feat I now found impossible. "It's foolish. Everything you could ever want is right here. When are you going to get over this ridiculous phase and start behaving like a vampire?"

Carlisle's freshly fed eyes flashed in anger. "It isn't a phase." Truly, he had never once even considered the other option.

A thick silence hung in the air. Finally she spoke, her words falling from her tongue like an avalanche. "So you would give away Volterra and glory for eternity to hunt _animals_? You'd give away me?"

He studied her as she waited for him to reply. In her fury, she was taking deep breaths and her chest heaved up and down, a motion barely discernible through the thick wool cloak, but Carlisle analyzed her quickly. "It's not as if you'd do any different," he said in a defeated and unfamiliar tone.

He understood all too well the pull the Volturi had on her and the realization seemed to exasperate her further. "Are you asking me to choose sides?" Her eyes flashed violently.

Carlisle recognized the end. He swooped down and picked up the books he had discarded and started toward the door. Bella stared at him, her face a mask of anger. "I would never ask you to choose," he said softly. "I guess this is goodbye, then." Then, he dropped his own act and showed her how it was hurting him to do what had to be done. His hand reached for the door handle. "I love you, Isabella."

Instantly, Bella was behind him, arms flung around his waist. Carlisle sighed and turned toward her. The hope that she had changed her mind, that she would flee the city with him, rolled through his head. She placed her soft lips to his gently, then leaned away. He searched her expression, noting the ghosts of tears swimming behind her lashes. Bella brought her hand upward and slapped him full across his face.

Both sets of eyes opened wide, neither believing what she had done. Without another word, Carlisle stepped through the door, letting it swing open, and ran into the night. It was in those moments he realized he could not change Bella's path. She was slipping further away and his only choice was to move on. He would leave Volterra and Bella, and never look back.

He hadn't. Centuries later, Carlisle hadn't thought back on Bella and the way things might have been had he chosen to stay, or she chosen to leave. Carlisle had found where he belonged and the people he belonged with. Seeing Bella again after so many years was like a breath of fresh air to him. Now, he saw hope for her future. In his mind, there was a chance to undo what centuries had created.

As Esme began the descent, Jasper and Bella emerged from the back of the plane and slid into their seats. I watched her carefully as she absently twirled a piece of hair around her finger, determinedly keeping her eyes on her feet. Though I knew she was a wicked creature, barely capable of compassion, I found that I didn't care. Her silent mind and deep crimson eyes filled me with desire, and it was something I couldn't deny. My instincts screamed at me to run to her, bend her over, and slam myself into her like an animal.

I caught Jasper looking at me, one eyebrow raised. He was undoubtedly experiencing my unexpected whirl of lust. It was embarrassing. No woman had ever made me think these thoughts and now I couldn't stop. I was genuinely glad no one could read _my_ mind.

"Where we landing?" Emmett boomed. "We can't be stateside already."

I shook my head and smirked. As I did, Bella's gaze sought me out. Despite myself, I flashed a grin and said, "Greenland."

"Excellent!" Emmett hollered loudly. "Polar Bears!"

Jasper and Alice owned a home in the very northern town of Nord. It was there we went after landing. Greenland was an expanse of snow and ice and that was about it. They had chosen the location specifically for the remoteness. That, and the property sat on the largest oil field in history, though it would be several decades before someone discovered it. Eventually, the 200 acres would make our family billions.

The family had split up and separated into the same groups we had driven before, with Carlisle and Esme joining Emmett and Rosalie in the other vehicle. I uncharacteristically let Alice drive, just to have the option of being able to gaze at Bella without distraction. Besides, these were huge, roaring snow plow monstrosities, with thick, spiked tires, that gnawed the ice beneath us. Emmett was sure enjoying the other one, but Alice already had experience. Thankfully, the vehicular monsters were quick and we made good time plowing through the nearly 400 miles. We were lucky it wasn't snowing.

The house itself was small compared to most of the Cullen domiciles, even though there was plenty of space for us to stay somewhat comfortably for an undetermined amount of time. The structure was made of thick stone and nestled into a sparse forest. Ice covered everything this far north, but it was pristine. There was no wonder why Jasper and Alice had decided to search out a home here. The frosted landscape gave way to fancies of Christmas, angels and easy peace. It was breathtaking.

Despite the amazing scenery, my focus lay elsewhere. I couldn't _not_ gawk at Bella. She had captivated my every sense. The longer I was around her, the more under her spell I seemed to fall. She could laugh just as easily at Alice's jokes as she could tell Jasper off. She was a confident, intelligent, sexy woman and I found myself more and more turned on. More than a few times I caught her staring back at me. A delicate smile played across her lips and I was mesmerized by the Mona Lisa-like expression. She had probably been Da Vinci's inspiration when creating the portrait, though he hadn't done her an ounce of justice. She was by far the most beautiful sight I had ever beheld, dulling the miles of sparkling ice stretching in every direction.

Almost as soon as we arrived, Jasper and Alice left with Em, Rose and Esme to hunt some of the grumpy bears that were virtually everywhere out here. I laughed aloud as Emmett's head swirled with his last encounters of the white northern bears. They were worse than any grizzly. His mind shifted to a video he saw of a shark crashing through a thin barrier of ice and biting down on the surprised bear, dragging its head and front paws into the water. At first, he imagined himself snapping the beast in half like that, but his thoughts turned to musings on whether a shark might be a good snack. He was deciding to ask Jasper if he wanted to give it a try, as I lost Emmett's thoughts to the distance.

Carlisle stood next to me and Bella still hovered hesitantly next to the snowdozer. Her gaze flicked uncomfortably between us, almost like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi. Carlisle smiled warmly, an action I mimicked. She still seemed wary, but when my father stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, she returned the gesture. The jealousy began to brew in stomach again and I had to remind myself not to snarl at them.

The embrace was brief, but he kept his hands firm on her elbows. "You look stunning," he said to her.

Bella smiled. "It's been a long time, Carlisle."

He nodded. "Too long. I should have come back to see you long ago."

Red eyes met mine and a burning ignited inside me. She shied away from Carlisle and he dropped his hands. God, what would I give to see what she is thinking right now. Carlisle turned to me. "Edward," he said softly. "I think we need some time alone."

I nodded, but wanted nothing less than to leave the sight in front of me, even if his hands were on her instead of mine. Bella's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No. I don't think I'm ready for this," she pleaded.

"I won't be far," I promised, unwilling to disappoint my father, no matter how badly I never wanted to leave her side.


	9. Blizzard

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 9 Blizzard**

Edward disappeared over a small hill. I felt the urge to run after him, but my eye was caught by Carlisle's. He wore an easy grin and he offered the crook of his elbow to me. As much as I wished otherwise, there was something very comfortable and familiar about my flesh touching his. I gazed out into the darkness one last time, scanning the ice for any sign of Edward, before allowing Carlisle to lead me into the house.

The house was sprawling. From outside, it was hard to grasp its size. The white of its exterior gave the illusion the house disappeared into the encroaching snow. Inside was a different story. It was a six bedroom (all complete with huge marble bathrooms and Jacuzzis), two family roomed mansion that sprawled over an acre. Its decor was subtle and light, adding to the serene ambiance.

Despite the size, it didn't take long for the tour. So far, Carlisle had kept the conversation light. He wondered if the flight had been terrible, if the others had been kind, and what I thought of the frozen wasteland outside the walls. I answered all his questions directly, if not completely honestly. He had always had such an effect on me. We finally entered the dining room where a huge circular table sat in the center of the room. He pulled out a chair and I slipped down, carefully watching him as he pulled out the chair next to mine.

His gaze was intense, but he seemed unwilling to say anything. I found my sense of ease swirling away as his eyes searched mine. Finally, I cleared my throat uncomfortably and the corner of his mouth lifted sweetly.

"Oh, Bella. It's been too long."

His voice whirled through my mind like a ghost. Carlisle was from so long ago, but he still held tight to a part of me. I hadn't been aware of it in so many years, but there had always been the piece that couldn't help but love him. He was the most kind and compassionate soul in existence.

I nodded at him, not sure what to say. Yes, it had been too long, but in many ways it hadn't been long enough.

"I really thought I'd never see you again," he finally said. The honesty in his voice made no doubt it was something he would have regretted.

"It's good to see you found what you were looking for." The fire in my voice surprised me. I hadn't meant it that way.

As rude as it seemed, Carlisle hardly noticed. "I'm still working on it," he chuckled. After a short silence he spoke again. "You're hungry."

His eyes never left mine and I knew I couldn't disagree. I'm used to centuries of regular, gluttonous feeding. In Volterra, it was difficult to go more than a day without a tour rolling through. It was a never-ending buffet. Needless to say, I was nearing the limits of my satiated state. "I am." I admitted quietly.

"That was the reason I wanted the others leave before speaking with you." He paused as if weighing his next words very carefully. "My family and I maintain the highest level of tact, despite what you may think. Nord is a small town. Any single person will be missed there. You will not go into Nord. You will hunt animals for the duration of your stay."

"Animals?" I shouted indignantly. "You've got to be joking. I'd never. I couldn't! You're joking!" My voice hinted on hysteria, but Carlisle simply sat as calm as ever.

"Animals," he answered definitively.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I said again. "Accidents happen all the time on ice. Out here, no one would ever expect anything unnatural."

Carlisle's ocher eyes flashed with anger. "_Not_ _h__ere._" He finally puffed out through clenched teeth. "If any of us saw a lost or injured human, we would take him back to town. We would do anything in our power to save him. I don't expect you to go that far, but I do expect a shred of humanity."

It felt like we were right back where we left off. I crossed my arms over my chest and sat back in the chair. "I'm not a human," I growled.

He met my narrowed look with one of his own. "But you can still feel compassion, Isabella."

"Why bother?" I wondered. "Humans are so weak. They don't last long, anyway. I'd just be saving him from years of dying at a slower pace. I see nothing wrong with that."

Carlisle was silent as he stared at me in open shock. "What's happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" I was the same as I had always been. Maybe too much so. It was the 'family' man in front of me that was so different than the lover I knew.

"You are not the same woman I remember," he said harshly. "The Isabella I knew still had some understanding of right and wrong, twisted as it was even then. It was still defined as a part of you. I never expected you to let it fade completely."

My temper flared. "Did it ever occur to you that I can discern right from wrong just fine? That has never been an issue for me. Did you ever think that maybe it's _your_ value system that's out of whack?" My patience waned quickly.

"Do you forget you were once human, too?"

The grandfather clock in the entrance way began to chime. The sharp echoing sound diffused the silence that had overtaken us and snapped me back into action. I jumped to my feet. "I'd appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself."

"I'm not forcing anything," he responded, slowly standing to look me in the eyes again. The weight of his accusing glare was heavy. "I'm asking for the courtesy of allowing my family a place where we can remain inconspicuous. Your choices affect more than you or I alone. The least you can do is have the decency to leave their way of life intact.

"You could choose to leave here tomorrow, but I must look out for the future and safety of every one in my family. We depend on our secrets and we've already left ourselves more exposed and vulnerable just for having brought you here."

My anger all but dissipated in the sharp tone of his words. I felt ashamed I had even argued the point in the first place. Of course he was right. They simply placed too high a trust in Alice and Jasper. Alice's visions were highly unlikely and Jasper _knew _how on-edge I was. Bringing me here and not destroying me the first chance they had was a grievous error on their part.

"On the other hand," Carlisle broke through my thoughts, "you are not a prisoner. You are free to come and go as you please."

I sneered at him, hiding my emotions. I didn't have to stay. I could always escape to Canada. Except that I couldn't. I felt I owed Jasper and Alice something. In too many ways, I was still very much a prisoner here.

"But, please, Bella, hear me out." Golden eyes flashed with genuine sincerity. I couldn't help but hesitate. Gone was the hard tone he used before. Compassion swirled fervently in his eyes. "I meant only to give you some advice. You may do with it what you will, but please understand that choosing not to listen would be worse than destroying you. What it would do to Alice is...is..._unthinkable_. The disappointment."

His words penetrated my mind as did the look on his face. I sighed, understanding at last. It always came back to Alice. People just couldn't help the draw of the small little pixie. Carlisle was looking out for her. She believed in me so much that her family believed too, without even understanding exactly why. They just trusted her and she trusted me for whatever reason. Venom started to rise in my throat, making me uncomfortable and slightly nauseous. She trusted me to be something I was incapable of being. It would kill them all to see her hurt and she'd be hurt after I failed.

"Then what?" I asked him. "Demetri will be on us like white on rice. We can't stay here forever."

"That's a discussion for the entire family, Bella."

So used to being involved in most decisions in the Guard at an executive level, it was hard not be offended by the innocent remark. As the pair in charge, we should –

But I had to stop myself. Here, I was nobody. I was nothing. I had inadvertently put myself in Carlisle's control despite his words that I was free to leave. The thought sickened me.

"There's one last thing I need to, er, discuss." Now, he seemed almost embarrassed and ducked his eyes away for the first time. I sighed loudly. Right away I knew this was one conversation I really didn't want to have with him.

"Honestly, Carlisle," I said. "It really isn't necessary."

He eyed me. "Esme is my wife."

"Yes, yes," I waved my hands at him, trying to dismiss it. I wasn't interested in hearing the gory details of how perfectly his life had worked out. It would only serve to reinforce how simply empty mine had become. I didn't need it spelled out for me. In one swift movement, I was at the entrance to the wide hall leading to the rest of the house. "Which room can I use?" I demanded, anxious to get out of there.

He stared silently for awhile longer before finally answering. "Third bedroom on the left. I'll have one of the girls bring you some clothes, if you'd like to get cleaned up."

I sprinted from him and into the sanctity of the brilliantly white bathroom, not even stopping to take in the bedroom. I immediately began filling the huge tub, throwing in some of the scented salts from the shelves. The air filled with an amazing floral aroma and my muscles loosened a bit. Now, this was just what the doctor ordered. Pardon the pun.

It was hard to tell how long I had been lying in the tepid water as the jets pushed around my body. I floated, just beneath the surface, thinking hard on what I was feeling. Despite Jasper's analysis on the flight, it did little to determine exactly the root of my problem.

I was naturally jealous that Carlisle had moved on so definitely and completely, while I hadn't changed. Knowing the last time anything impacted me was the day he left Volterra made it harder to take in. Try as I might to deny it, it was true. My old self – the lighter, happier self – had quieted and grown weak until she was someone I didn't recognize anymore. She no longer existed. I executed her as soundly as I had thousands of other souls since.

The initial problem was that failure hadn't existed for my previous self. All that changed when I failed with Carlisle. Afterward, my life had been an existence of personal failures, but it had begun when Carlisle disappeared out the door. I had often wondered why I couldn't settle with a mate. Why was I content to move from man to man while most of our kind mated once and forever? I was almost glad of the inch of water covering my eyes. It gave a relief my tearless sobbing would not.

On top of everything else, my mind was continuously drawn to Edward. He told me he'd stay close. Why on earth had I even asked him to stay? It seemed like such a weak and foolish thing to do and like so many other things I'd experienced recently, so out of character. What was it about the bronzed-haired god that attracted me so completely, so irrevocably? The more I thought of him, the more I wanted to and that was not a healthy habit to start.

When I finally stepped from the bath, I wrapped a fluffy white robe around my body. The soft cotton felt amazing against my skin. I felt like I hadn't been clean in months. Too many sticky thoughts had been weighing me down. I found a comfortable track outfit sitting on the corner of the dresser. It was white, blending in nicely with the subdued hues of the house. While I naturally preferred a much darker and more serious wardrobe, the fit of the soft cotton was more comfortable than the tight and sleek clothes I wore in Volterra.

Once I was properly clothed again, I searched for a brush to comb through my tangled tresses. With no luck, I ran my fingers through it a few times, piling it loosely onto my head and twisting it into a sloppy bun. I looked myself over in the mirror, struck again by the contrast I saw there. I had always considered myself somewhat plain, willingly drab. Seeing myself like this, though almost mundane in its simplicity, seemed right.

Suddenly, I could hear a hushed conversation from another room. Quickly exiting, I crept silently down the hall. I hesitated outside the door Carlisle had named as his. Inside, he and Edward were immersed in deep discussion.

"What could it mean then? Is it just a coincidence she ended up with Alice? Should we help her do it?" The velvet words were saturated in genuine concern.

Carlisle answered him. "I'm not sure. There's still the possibility the outcome may change." He sounded weary and my panic began to steadily build. If Carlisle doubted, then what chance did I have?

Edward sighed audibly. "She's sure it will happen no matter what precedes."

The men were silent. I imagined Carlisle, in his golden glory, and Edward, the bronze god sitting behind this very door, speaking of me as if they should care what happened when they should be relieved if this was all true. But they seemed to put so much trust into Alice and her uncanny ability. Truly, they did not doubt her. I was having a difficult time reminding myself that I was removed from the situation. I'd already taken control of something they seemed to think was undeniable. They obviously did not know me well at all. Perhaps Carlisle chose to forget, but I was quite possibly the most stubborn creature in existence. I had made up my mind. Alice's premonition wouldn't come true. I wasn't going to let it.

Finally, Edward spoke again, choosing a new subject. "But can we trust her?"

My body tensed for the answer. Could I be trusted? My loyalties have always been to the Volturi. It was more than a job, it was who I was. Carlisle must have answered him with his thoughts. It was an insane irritation, but instead of busting through the door and demanding his opinions, I continued down the dark hallway.

It wasn't long before I realized none of the others had gotten back yet. My mind flickered briefly to the clothes that had been placed on my dresser as I soaked in my tub full of angst. Part of me hoped it had been mysterious Edward who had crept silently in. I pulled at the jacket and brought it to my nose, inhaling deep into the fabric. The scent was mouthwatering, but too muddled a mixture for me to pinpoint if Carlisle or Edward had handled it last.

Unable to reach a definitive conclusion on the matter, I wandered aimlessly throughout the house. Thoughts swirled through my head as I paced the sprawling rooms. That's when it struck me. A break in the resolve. I had been so foolish. My stomach had been twisting and knotting since I met these Cullens. I felt threatened and uncomfortable from the beginning. I was so frustrated and the answer suddenly seemed simple: _run_. If I wasn't a prisoner, I wasn't staying.

Taking off with all my speed, I charged toward the door, flinging it wide in my haste. A fine sprinkling of snow had begun to fall, but the heavy gray clouds hung low in the sky, promising something more. As if to reassure that fact, the wind howled across the icy plain and hit my cold skin.

Thank God, you can only die once, I thought, and I threw myself into the night.

I was glad for the light colored clothes as I sprinted through the steadily falling snow. It would be harder to spot me, as long as no one could zero in on the red stripes down my legs. In any case, I didn't feel any one following me as I sped into the blizzard.

I had gone a few miles to the west before I crossed paths with an alarming scent. My nose wrinkled the instant I smelt it. It was fouler than anything I'd ever come across before. Curiosity getting the better of me, I followed as it crossed north and then back east. Instinctively, I knew it went toward the town.

I retreated into a crop of high rising cliffs just to the south of town and studied the busy little village in wonderment for a long time. Humans go about their business obliviously, to and fro, never imagining for one second that I could easily swoop in and obliterate their entire town. The blizzard would act as a natural silencer for their screams. The Cullens wouldn't be able to hear their terror. I was half tempted to do it, just to spite Carlisle, but the other scent created an unnecessary problem. It was definitely neither human nor vampire, but otherwise I was at a loss to its origin. I determined quickly that an attack wasn't worth it with an unknown element at play.

Shrugging it off, I moved away from the teeny city and began running west again. My best bet seemed to be Canada. After that, I wasn't sure. I was still a little torn about returning home with Alice's premonition continuously flashing through my mind. In my haste to leave the house I'd forgotten how unlikely it was that I could ever return to Italy. I already felt stripped of my rank and title. They, more than likely, assumed me dead. Perhaps they think I was caught as the prison collapsed. No one would really miss me, anyway. It seemed much better to stay away. Not to disrupt the lives of my friends.

So, I kept running toward Canada. Away from the Cullens. Away from Volterra. From now on, I was on my own and glad I knew how to kick some ass, because having my dinner served to me on a silver platter for three centuries did nothing to hone my hunting skills. It shouldn't be difficult to recruit some help. If I thought he'd be able to decipher it, I'd send Felix a coded message, and ask him to meet me. Jane might be able to do it, but I had no hope for Felix. Good in bed, but otherwise useless. I even considered sending a coded letter to Demetri, but his crude and wild manner – while not in bed – was offensive.

No, I'd find new friends later. All I had to do is get off this freakishly huge island!

The barren trees gave little cover as I twisted my way through the thin, weak trunks. Only knowing a basic geography, I was still sure most of Greenland was uninhabited throughout the center. People tried to settle along the coasts where the worries of living on a perpetually frozen, but extremely volcanic land aren't as threatening. All I could do as I streaked across the open spaces was step as lightly as possible and hope I wouldn't be unlucky enough to find footing on eroded earth.

Because it's me, I eventually distracted myself with foolish fantasies involving Edward and myself. One wrong step brought my foot ankle deep in a scalding hot mud pool, laying hidden just beneath the surface of the eroding dirt. My dulled pain receptors barely registered anything was wrong, but I knew the longer I left myself exposed to the overheated mud, the greater chances for real injury.

The problem was I was stuck fast in the thick black gunk. I quickly exhausted my options as I fumbled around for something to use as leverage. In the cold, icy wilderness, there was nothing of any use nearby. My last idea was not a pleasant one, considering the angle my foot was lodged.

My fingers wrapped around my thin calve. This wasn't going to be pretty. Before I lost the nerve and opted to stay forever in this icy grave, I yanked my leg upwards. Easily exerting every bit of force I had in my underfed and weakened state, I heard the sickening crack of a bone snapping. I had to bite hard on my lip to hold in the anguish afraid that if I slipped, my will to go on would vanish.

Just as I began to fear it was hopeless, my leg ripped free of the sludge and the power of my own strength sent me sprawling backward into the snow. For awhile, I just laid panting as the storm gathered in intensity. The snow came down in frosty blankets, slanting at a wild angle from the east. I idly wondered if it were possible to have hurricanes this far north. My knowledge of the icy country was painfully nonexistent, but that I thought this was exactly what an iced hurricane would look like.

When I could think and breathe clearly again, I quickly assessed the condition of my leg. I knew it was broken, but there was no way to heal if I didn't feed. The sooner, the better. The pain didn't seem overwhelming, so I decided that I'd still chance Canada. The urge to escape the Cullens had only grown more insistent.

With great care, I used my arms to pull myself upward. I deliberately kept any weight from my left ankle, but there was nothing to use for balance. So, despite my graceful vampire abilities, I felt my right leg begin to slide forward on a hidden sheet of ice. I tried fruitlessly to put my arms out and catch myself, but forgot my injury in the moment. I bent my knee, trying to use my other leg to catch my body before I went down.

It all happened so fast. My scream echoed around me, but was absorbed by the howling storm. My body collapsed on the ground, taken by agony. I had crushed my entire foot and had never felt such pain since my change. My mind only screamed along with my body. I was completely incoherent, yet glad I was alone with my misery.

Suddenly, there was a iron grasp on my shoulders, reminding me they were still up there by my neck. I'd been so lost in the gripping pain, but the weight of the hands brought me a sense of reality. I whimpered miserably, refusing to open my eyes. I hoped they would at least kill me quickly. I was not used to suffering such misery. Instead, my body was lifted from the snowy ground and I was nuzzled against a solid chest.

"You need to feed." I was shocked to hear it was the velvety voice of Edward.

Gently, his fingertips brushed hair away from my face. It was stiff and frozen like leafless twigs, but he was careful not to break it. His golden eyes locked onto mine. It was impossible not to notice they were swimming with desperation.

"Are you alright?" he wondered.

Still shocked, I could only nod at first. His mouth was so close to mine and his shaky breath flooded my senses. Finally, I dared open my mouth and after allowing a breath of his delicious taste to roll over my tongue, I answered him more truthfully than I intended.

"I am now."

The corner of his lip twitched upward. Edward had no further comment. I savored the flavor and feel of him as he gathered my injured and weak body into his and ran into the storm.


	10. Hunger

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 10 Hunger**

Finally, I began to regain some control of myself. I pushed at Edward's chest, noting the lean muscles beneath my palms. "I'll never heal if I don't feed." My voice was a whisper.

He nodded at me, still speeding in the same direction. That's when I smelt the musky aroma. It had nothing on the heavenly smell of a human, but whatever Edward sprinted toward was both alive and breathing, calling me to dinner. I knew it was an animal, but was desperate for it. My stomach roiled and clenched, but my throat burned hungrily at the prospect of fresh blood.

Edward laid me gently on the ice. "Wait here," he whispered and was immediately lost in the blinding snow. His leap was more graceful and natural than I had ever dreamed of being. Then again, I'd never had to hunt for food before.

I couldn't see the battle but heard it through the shrieking wind. Edward attacked the beast, but it was giving him a fight. After a few intense moments of guttural growling and snapping, he reappeared dragging the huge beast behind him. The hind leg was nestled in the crook of his arm. I growled at the scent of the predator's fresh blood. The animal was still thrashing behind him, snapping its powerful jaws, and I was secretly glad he had brought it to me alive.

I didn't give myself a chance to think it over. The call of blood was too much to bear. The panicked heartbeat took over all rational thought. After all, blood was blood and this would be my only reprieve from the aching thirst. I leaped past Edward and landed on top of the bear, securing my legs around the huge midsection and ignoring the slicing pain shooting up them.

I pressed my mouth hungrily to its neck and bit in. The thick flesh and coat was far from appetizing, but as the first drop of life touched my lips, all I could do was drink. I made quick work of the enormous beast that I only recognized as a polar bear afterward it was drained.

It was easy to ignore the bitter aftertaste that stained my tongue and covered the taste Edward had given me, but my ankle was already tingling. Only a little more and it would be entirely healed by morning. My eyes sought out Edward's. I smiled.

"Your brother was right," I chuckled. "That wasn't so bad."

To my complete delight, the crooked smile formed full across his face. "Unfortunately, that was the only one in the area. You'll have to make do with an elk or mule deer, now. Herbivores are less…satisfying."

I groaned as Edward slipped away again. This time, I heard no sounds of a struggle, but he might have gone too far to hear over the storm. Seconds ticked by slowly and I began to get nervous. How long does it take to catch a stupid deer? He wrangled the bear in less than thirty seconds.

When he finally did return, there were two five-point bucks under his arms. Their heartbeats were slow and I smelled his venom mixing with their blood. "They run faster than the bear," he muttered, apologizing.

It was completely unnecessary. Just the hint of his scent inside the animals drove me insane. At once, I was at the creature's neck, gulping loudly as I coaxed the blood down my throat. When it was dry, I wiped my hand on the back of my jacket.

"Disgusting," I said, but hoped he knew I was joking, sort of. The full stomach was making me a little euphoric. I noticed his eyes and the black-ringed gold of his eyes. "Maybe you'd like to share the other one," I offered. Edward's eyebrows shot up, but he nodded slowly.

I began to drink first, feeling like I might be a little unbalanced. Asking a complete stranger to share a kill with me. What was going on with me? After only a moment, Edward's eyes were in front of mine and I watched his razor white teeth sink into the tender flesh of our meal.

It is sensual to share a kill. Vampires rarely shared anything, especially food, so it made my offer much bolder. But he drank as deeply as I did, never breaking eye contact. There were a thousand emotions flickering through him, but it looked like he couldn't settle for just one. He wondered why I asked him, but asked no questions. I was glad for that. I didn't have any answers for him. I don't know what compelled me to share such a personal act. Like we were lovers. But, I could hardly care. No matter what type of blood passed my lips, I could only taste Edward.

When the animal was drained, he looked at me as we sat across from each other. I was a mess. My clothes were covered with blood and hair, ripped in my haste to dine. A small smile played across his lips as the flush of the kill rushed to my cheeks.

"_That_ was different," he said with a glance at our drained buck.

I could only nod. His eyes were actually sparkling as a light caramel color flooded them. It pushed the black out right before my eyes and I was momentarily dazzled. This man was simply breathtaking.

"Do you always get yourself into so much trouble?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I could find my way around Volterra blindfolded. I've just never been outside the city."

"Never?"

"I was born in France, but I've spent my entire immortal life inside Volterra's walls," I admitted simply.

"That's incredible."

I had to laugh. "Oh yeah, sounds like a great way to spend eternity," I joked lightly, content by our easy exchange.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "I didn't think you'd want me to follow, but I couldn't leave you out here alone, Bella." My name sounded like heaven on his lips.

"I'm glad. What the hell was I thinking?"

Edward grimaced briefly. "After the reception we gave you, I wouldn't blame you for trying to run."

"It wasn't that. I mean, I do feel completely off-kilter here with your family, but I just freaked. It's all so much to take in." I began nervously wringing my fingers together.

"Alice can have that effect on people."

"So I've seen," I snorted. "But how worried should I be? How accurate is she, really?"

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," he said with a wink.

I didn't want to think that it might come to that regardless. The light comment weighed heavily on my shoulders. "I just wonder if things are already going to happen or if her warnings push people in the direction to _make_ them happen."

"I think a little bit of both," Edward said easily and relaxed himself into the snow. "We all learned long ago there was no point in arguing. She gets her way no matter what."

I laughed again and Edward propped himself on an elbow and watched me. "Do you?" he asked.

"Do I what?" I answered back breathlessly.

"Do you get what you want?"

My amusement faded. It was a loaded question and I couldn't tell by the intense gaze if he'd meant it that way. I wanted to be Chief Interrogator for the Volturi and I got that, but what else had I ever wanted? The only thing that came to mind was Carlisle, but at this point, I wasn't so sure it was that I wanted him or that I couldn't have him. I'd truly never needed to want, because I always had. Carlisle was the one thing that hadn't simply fallen into my lap.

Now, as I looked over the bronze Adonis leaning in the snow and I had no answer. My stomach twisted as I poured over his perfect countenance and chiseled body. I think I wanted him, but at what cost? My little foray into the unknown was well and good, but getting any more out of control around the Cullens was asking for trouble. At that very moment, I only wanted to know what it was I _wanted_.

"No," I finally breathed. "I don't."

Edward's musical laughter filled the space between us, effectively drowning out the tension I'd built. "No, neither do I," he chuckled.

Suddenly lightened, I instinctively reached out to place my hand on his. Edward reacted to the contact, pulling his hand from beneath mine the instant they touched. I was afraid I had crossed a line with him, but was sure he had been flirting. I hadn't imagined that had I? I knew men, but apparently, there was more to this one.

I made to move away, but Edward grabbed my wrist tightly. The intensity of his stare was shocking, but he was silent. I was lost in his eyes for a long time, breathing unnecessarily hard. The snow swirled in huge fat flakes around us, landing in our hair and eyelids and covering our clothes.

"I can't hear you," he said finally.

"I didn't say anything."

Edward shook his head with a soft smile. "Not what I meant," he smiled softly. "I mean your thoughts. You are the first I've ever encountered that was immune to my ability."

I couldn't help but feel instant relief over the news. Aro couldn't see into my head, either. He'd always thought that particular aspect of my gift as a curse. It was to him at any rate. I was the one person Aro simply had to trust, because he could not search out lies through my memories. Suddenly, it's revealed that I could unconsciously block all forms of mind intrusion. I was instantly comforted by that fact. I didn't even have to try.

Edward was continuing, his voice in a musical whisper. "You asked me to stay earlier, but I'm not sure I did the right thing coming after you. Alice didn't tell you everything, but I couldn't just let you go. I'm not ready yet. I need more time. The silence of your mind is incredibly peaceful and I'm drawn to that. Hell, it's _you_. I'm drawn to you in ways I can't explain."

His honesty was shocking. Judging by the look on his face as much for himself as for me. It had been totally unexpected and I tried desperately to shrug off the meaning behind his words before they could penetrate me deeper.

"We should probably get back," I finally broke the first uncomfortable pause between us. I didn't know what else I should say. Edward seemed embarrassed enough by his admission that he only nodded. In a quick movement, he swooped me up and into his arms again. My ankle would be healed before we made it back to the house, but I didn't object. It felt too good to be against him like that, despite how completely off-guard he had caught me with his words.

He ran into the blinding snow with me huddled in his strong arms. The storm howled around us, slapping our faces with the bits of falling ice. As impossible as I would have found it a few hours ago, I was more stuck now than before.

**Felix POV**

My patience was waning. Two weeks and still we sat. No one had even been the least bit concerned for Isabella's disappearance. As the crews worked round the clock digging out the thousands of tons of debris that had fallen on top of itself, it became more evident Isabella wasn't there. Somehow she had made it out and I was pretty sure I knew where she had gone. The female Cullen's cell had already been unearthed and it had been empty. Something told me when they finished clearing the other Cullen's cell, it would be the same. They had Isabella. No one else would be as crafty and ballsy as those fuckers. The big one's face flashed before my face and I was instantly furious.

Thanks to Emmett, my left arm had been severed from my body. The prick practically leveled the entire city. Another one had been loose and I could only assume it was Edward. They'd never let dear ol' Carlisle walk into danger. Those little bitches are going to pay when I finally get authorization to hunt them down. And if any of those heathens lay a hand on my woman, there'll be hell to pay.

I flexed the fingers on my injured hand slowly, feeling the stiff way the muscles contracted. It had been incredibly painful as it healed, hardly bearable. But I endured because I knew Isabella had to be found. I would not let the man who was the center of her life, forget about her so easily. Aro was testing me and I wasn't sure how much longer I could last before snapping. Didn't he get it? Isabella was taken by the nefarious Cullens and we had to wait for Demetri. Fuck him anyway. The man was difficult enough, but since he and Isabella had begun sleeping together, he was truly intolerable. I didn't blame my beautiful lover. Work called me away for extended periods. Her hunger for sex was insatiable. It was a possibility I had accepted since the moment I finally got her to consider taking me into her bed.

I knew it wasn't the same for her. I knew even if she had been kidnapped, it would not be to my arms she dreamed of returning. She was addicted to one thing and that was Volterra. She would probably sob when she sees the ruin her home had become, but not over me. At least I could find some solace knowing she wouldn't cry over Demetri, either. That was something he had yet to learn.

Despite my unrequited feelings, I would save Isabella, because that's what you do when you love. But no one, not even Aro, would dispatch any rescue party until he was satisfied she wasn't in the prisons or sewers, which had collapsed all around the city. His quest was futile and wasted precious time. It was only yesterday Aro finally brought Demetri back to the city. He immediately confirmed Isabella was not in Volterra, just as I'd been saying all along. Finally, something would happen. Together we would hunt our lost lover and bring her home.

Suddenly, my door slammed open and banged into the wall. My apartment was damaged in the fires, but not unlivable so I had stayed while many had moved on to the Tower for temporary housing. The charred door wobbled unstably on half melted hinges. It didn't unnerve me as much as the face of fury I saw standing on the other side. This was what I had been trying to avoid, but I needed to take it easy. The look on her face made it look like she would snap at any second.

"_Were you even going to tell me_?" she snarled.

I wasn't. I was trying to avoid her like a human avoids the plague. "Look, Jane, I didn't want you to get your panties in a twist, like you're doing. It's hard enough going with Demetri. Please don't force your way into this."

Her smile was venomous and I knew she had already won her entrance into the party. Jane was her closest friend. I guess I'd known all along she would weasel her way into the rescue party. Honestly, her gifts would be irreplaceable if it came to a fight, but that didn't make her a more desirable travel companion.

Resigned to my fate, I sighed. "We leave tomorrow, once Demetri has been debriefed on the specifics."

"What's Aro playing at?" Jane demanded stepping into the room and throwing herself over the arm of my chair.

I only shrugged, but found relief knowing I wasn't the only one who thought Aro was behaving strangely. "He thinks she's dead."

"Of course he does," Jane scoffed. "He wouldn't want the world knowing the woman he wanted as a replacement ran off to join the enemy." The acid was evident in her tone.

I hadn't heard that.

"Not that you'd know anything about it," she went on, a wicked smile creeping across her face. "You wouldn't know that your mission is a search and destroy opp. There won't be any _rescuing_."

I had no words to answer her. She had literally floored me. I had believed she was here to find  
Isabella. It was a long while we sat in utter silence before I could find my voice again. "Where's the evidence that she's a traitor?"

Jane laughed. It was the sound of a child, but coming from her face with narrowed crimson eyes, infinitely creepier. "She was seen hesitating before jumping the wall _after_ the Cullens."

After? She jumped _after_ they did? What would posses her? How could she be so careless? It just didn't sound like the Isabella I know. I could only shake my head.

"They're not even looking for survivors down there, Felix. They're _rebuilding_."

A hiss escaped my lips. Of course. Aro was master of lies. He spun them so well I hadn't until this moment realized they were there. Isabella's entire future had probably been a lie as well. It made sense. The ancient bastards had nothing better to do than spend their time ruining the existence of those they call "friend." It was disgusting.

On the other hand, if she had gone willingly with those Cullens – those _freaks_ – then she was the worst kind of traitor. I didn't know how to accept that.

"They're speculating the entire thing was a plan to fall Volterra, devised by Carlisle and Isabella centuries ago."

Now, I couldn't help but scoff at that accusation. She may be many things, but she was _not_ in cahoots with Carlisle Cullen. My anger came bubbling back to the surface. Naturally, Jane had that affect on people, but as I stared at her sprawling lazily over my chair and looking quite pleased with herself, I became enraged. It had been so easy to worm her way into this. Besides partners in torture, the two had been best friends. Now, Jane lay here, talking shit, while Isabella was out there somewhere. What was _Jane_ playing at?

"Aro has ordered I lead your little expedition, just to make sure you and Demetri don't back out. Someone needs to make sure you lover-boys get the job done."

The sound of her voice grated my nerves and I almost shuddered. Even if it were all true, would I have the balls to finish her – to kill the only woman I ever loved?

Jane met my eyes and smiled devilishly. My answer was clear. Jane wasn't going to give me a choice.


	11. Shark

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 11 Shark**

The instant I walked back through the doors of the house, I felt guilty to the point of embarrassment and quickly found the solace of my room. Naturally, the Cullens didn't leave me alone for long.

"What have you been doing?" Alice fake-gasped as she stepped into my room without knocking. Her eyes were studying my clothes.

"Like you don't know already," I begrudged. The smile plastered to her face made it very clear how aware she was.

Alice's soft laughter filled the room and she flashed her smile in full force. "You've sure made an impression on Edward," she said in a whisper. "He's in his room listening to some seriously sappy love song right now."

I wasn't sure how to respond. I'd made an impression on him? I thought it was the other way around. He was the first man in my entire existence I had ever desired to reach out and touch, to actually _feel_. Edward inspired an entirely unique emotion inside me. That was what made me so terrified of him.

She suddenly sat up straight and stretched her hands high over her head, releasing a loud groan as her lean muscles stretched. An instant later, she bound to her feet and began pacing back and forth. "First, we need to get you fixed up. You hardly look presentable in that." She pointed at my clothes with a disgusted look on her face. I looked down, noting the blood splattered over my clothes. The fact they had been ultra white a few hours ago, made the gore even more prominent.

I blanched myself, hopping to my feet to strip away the remains of my first wild hunt. It hadn't been anything like I expected. Of course, in my fantasies, it had always been a human I stalked through the trees and I had never thought I'd share it with a man like Edward.

I showered and redressed quickly in another tracksuit Alice had laid out for me. I don't know what the deal with cotton-terry lounge clothes, but she was gone when I emerged from the bathroom, probably off to burn the mess I had made of the other ones. Dressed and feeling much better about myself, I laid across the bed. I allowed myself to think of Edward and what Alice had said. An impression. Of course, I had probably over-stepped my bounds by sharing the kill with him, but he was a man, after all. Still, did he know I had only done so two other times in my life? Intense topaz eyes danced in my vision as I savored his taste. His venom still coursed through me, thick on my tongue and in my mind.

Beautiful, sexy Edward.

Edward and I remained cautiously guarded around each other over the following days. It was as if the knowledge that something burned so hot and wild between us was as frightening for him as it was for me. We kept a careful distance as I mingled with his family. I had to admit that in spite of fighting gravity to remain apart from Edward, I had never felt so comfortable or accepted in my entire existence.

Until Rosalie stamped to me as I relaxed with one of Carlisle's tomes. Her shadow cast a dark silhouette over the artfully printed words. My eyes flashed to her darkened face.

"What are you still doing here?" she growled.

"Rosalie," Esme admonished from the kitchen, but she didn't venture into the reading area. She didn't really venture anywhere I was.

"No," she spat. "What are you doing here? I don't trust you and I want you gone."

Without breaking eye contact, I gently closed the worn leather book and set it next to me. I rose from the couch, eyes narrowing. "I don't like you either."

For the record I want it stated that she moved first. I wouldn't have done anything if she hadn't jumped first. Probably. As it was, I really only got the one punch in. Rosalie, in all her golden fury, sprang forward. Having faced the desperation of thousands of prisoners, I easily steeped into it with a right to her a jaw. An instant later, blondie was in a heap across the room and her mate had his huge arms wrapped around me so I couldn't pounce on her and finish it.

Needless to say, I wasn't surprised I was kicked out of the house while Esme and Alice nursed Rosalie's pride. Emmett thankfully stayed away. I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing his face. I liked the overbearing brute despite his bitchy wife. I'm sure it was difficult for him not to rip my head off for knocking her on her ass, but even he had to see she had it coming.

I was relieved that it was Jasper who approached me.

"How's it going, Bella?" he greeted, softly.

"Oh, just dandy," sarcasm dripped from my tongue. "Almost as well as Rosalie I imagine."

Jasper smiled in full. "It was only a matter of time before it happened. She likes to push people and you're the first one to push back."

"She moved first," I defended myself. It wasn't like I just got up and started throwing punches.

This time he laughed. "Oh, Emmett saw everything. He didn't know what to do." He chuckled again to himself. His eyes sparkled when he laughed and I couldn't help but smile with him.

"I still lost it, didn't I?

He smiled and sat down on a snow covered boulder. "You don't ever have to block you emotions, Bella. It's what makes you who you are."

Silently, he reached out and grabbed my hand where it lay motionless at my side. "Why are you so troubled? You're going to be alright here."

I couldn't lie, but after what happened with Rosalie, I wasn't sure how true that was. "I'm very confused."

He accepted my answer easily. "Do you think you're better off here?"

There were no hidden implications in his tone, but they weighed on me anyway. Was I better off with the Cullens than in my home? My thoughts immediately went to Edward, but Jasper's knowing smile switched my course. Instead, I thought of my little home; of laughing with Jane and of Aro smiling at his prodigy. As soon as these images hit, another series even stronger flooded my mind: my little home _where I had spent so many lonely nights_; laughing with Jane _while torturing an innocent_; Aro smiling at me _after destroying my entire human family and eventually my life_.

I shuddered and Jasper gave my hand a slight squeeze. I found his eyes again. "I think you've been denied so much that you don't even realize what's been missing."

"How would you know?" I snapped back.

Jasper smile never wavered as the calm radiated through his touch. "I haven't always been a part of the Cullen lifestyle," he reminded. "I found myself in your position when I came to them. Of course, anything Alice wants." He smiled beautifully, thinking of his wife. I smiled with him, knowing he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"When I came here, it was on complete whim. I met Alice only two days earlier and we traveled to Ontario where Carlisle and the others were settled at the time. Alice knew exactly where to go."

"Naturally," I interjected with a grin.

Jasper's eyes sparkled. "Only Esme and Rosalie were here when we arrived. To tell you the truth, had Alice not come bursting through the trees and kissed Esme, I'm sure the two of them would have accomplished what no newborn had ever been able to do." He looked down at his scarred flesh and I glanced, too, seeing the crescent bite-marks covering every inch of his skin. Knowing some of Jasper's past in the wars of Mexico, I had expected him to be remarkably strong and quick-witted. Battle wounds were a given, a trophy. Now, I saw a tortured look pass his features as he looked on the remnants of that life and I wanted to reach out and comfort him in any way I could. I settled for squeezing his hand tighter.

Detecting my intentions from the air, Jasper immediately brightened. "It would have been some fight, but that wasn't really where I was going," he chuckled at himself. "I wanted you to know I still struggle with this life, but not just with the diet. Living together like this, loving someone. It's new to me, too. What you have to know is it's worth it, all of it. I won't lie and say this isn't a hard life to live. It was hard enough to tell my instincts that I could live with other vampires without trying to destroy them. But every second has been worth it for me. What I gave up in the South – the power, the blood, the _lust_ – has been nothing compared to what I've received since. I will never regret the decision to stay with them."

We stared at each other as he let the words sink in. I thought of Edward again and was scared. Both Jasper and Alice seemed to imply something between us. As much as I wanted to believe it, I couldn't bring myself to trust the feelings I had. More seemed to be at stake than ever before and I was afraid to jump blindly, knowing my past experiences, even if that was exactly what I wanted to do.

"Carlisle and Esme are taking Rosalie to Alaska for a couple of weeks," Jasper interrupted my thoughts.

I inwardly cringed. Jasper nodded, still smiling. "Rose can be stubborn, but she'll get over it."

"And her mate?" I asked, remembering the titanic vampire I had been trying to avoid since he carried me onto the plane.

He laughed loudly. "Oh, I don't think you need to worry about Emmett."

Just then, the round toothy grinned face of Jasper's brother appeared around an evergreen. "You rang?" His voice was a dead on Lurch impression.

I marveled again at the sheer bulk of him. The entire door frame was filled with his hulking body, but the smile on his face was almost goofy, slightly marring the image of ferocious vampire.

"Who's in the mood for some sushi?" he asked with a laugh and devilish smirk. Jasper and I just stared at him. "Ah, c'mon, you have to be curious."

"Actually, no," Jasper shook his head disgustedly.

"How about you, Bells?" he asked, smile still in place.

Impulsively, I smiled back. I think it was the way the smirk on his face looked slightly terrifying but not at all threatening. It was an invitation for me and I owed him that much. Even though I wasn't really thirsty, I nodded. "I think it's all disgusting anyway," I said slowly, "so I guess I'm in."

He didn't give me the chance to change my mind. In a flash, Emmett had a hold of my hand and was running from the house in an easterly direction. It wasn't long before I was glad I'd given into. He turned out not at all as intimidating as I had originally surmised. As we ran, he kept me laughing with a glimpse into the daily lives of the Cullens, constantly cracking jokes at his brothers' expense and never once mentioning what happened with his wife.

When he finally stopped running, I was gasping for breath from laughing. I wiped my eyes absently, though the tears hadn't fallen from them in centuries. Slowly, I regained control over myself and took in our location. We stood on the edge of a glacier, jutting a hundred yards from the surface of a violently churning, black ocean. Emmett inhaled the biting arctic air deeply and I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"So, what now, big guy?" I asked playfully.

He let out one of his deep, belly laughs. "We have to get to dinner somehow," he hinted, none too subtly.

Before I had the chance to consider his words, Emmett disappeared over the edge of the cliff. A loud whoop echoed around me, bouncing off the ice as he plummeted into the freezing water below. His splash was more a tidal wave, but I could see the broad, face-stretching smile as his head broke through the waves.

"Come one, Bella!" he shouted loudly. When my astonished eyes did nothing but stare at the tiny bobbing vampire far below, he yelled out again. "Show me your balls, Volterra!"

With a burst of irritation mixed with something akin to either national pride or complete reckless abandon, I flung myself from the edge. My body curved naturally into a gracefully dive. The air stung my face as I plunged downward like a bullet. Too quickly, I sliced into the gray water. Forgetting the fact that I hadn't ever been in a larger body of water than the fountain in the center of Volterra, I instinctively reacted to the pull of the current. I propelled myself upward with a strong kick and broke the surface next to Emmett.

He was cheering me loudly. "Alright! Anyone else would have chose the easier way down, but you have to admit that was a lot faster."

My eyes were drawn back up the cliff I had jumped from. A path wound its way down the sheer face to a ledge only five feet from the crashing ocean. I smiled, trying to ignore the fact I had a choice on how to get into the water.

"You know polar bears have only one natural enemy." Emmett was staring into the dark water beneath him. He looked up and winked. A devious glint flashed in his eyes. "The Great White is the very top of the food chain."

"Until now," I winked back, spotting a massive shadow slowly circling right below us.

"I thought we'd have to hunt a little more," he said with disappointment thick in his tone, but without further comment, his head disappeared into the water.

I dove after him and watched as his powerful arms sliced through the murky water. The shark still moved in lazy circles when Emmett reached it. I could only make out the faint outline of the gray topside of the fish, but its open mouth full of rows of serrated teeth was much more distinct. Slowing my pace until I was treading the water a good two hundred feet from the surface, I watched Emmett make his move below me.

The shark bumped into his huge shoulder. It may have been trying to test his edibility, but it would be the last thing it would do. In a fury of bubbles, the two giant predators were lost in the churning water. Seconds later, a burst of blood exploded into the ocean and Emmett was using one muscled arm to propel himself upward. Grasped in his other hand was a gray tail fin, as he towed the beast casually behind him.

When he reached my side, he pointed back below us, indicating two more predators thrashing with excitement in the blood of Emmett's kill. He flashed an ultra bright smile, pulling the shark upward. Then, he sank his teeth deeply into the strange skin of the Great White, and I watched him pull the blood into his eager jaws.

I pushed myself away and dove straight at one of the circling fish. I let my legs wrap around its body to hold it into place and just had time to deflect the charging snout of the second shark. Its razor sharp teeth grated against my undead flesh, but glanced off my impenetrable skin.

As the rows of jagged teeth slid off me, I reached one hand into its gills. My legs tightened their grip around the one I rode as the aggressive one snapped wildly, trying to shake free of my iron grasp. I reached out with my other arm and grabbed its dorsal fin. With that hold, it was easy to guide the thrashing fish closer. I bit into its rubbery flesh, ignoring the repulsive texture on my tongue, and tore out a chunk of its thick skin, spitting it into the water. I went in again and my teeth found a much softer flesh, easily sliced open. Blood gushed into my open mouth and I was surprised at how much better it was than the land animals.

I was vaguely aware the one I rode was sinking slowly, unable to maintain its propulsion under my weight, but the intensity of the blood was drawing me into a frenzy of my own. Emmett's smile flashed in front of me and I was immediately back in the moment. My tongue unwillingly traced the open wound, sealing it in the water. Emmett reached out and grabbed the stunned fish and began swimming upward. Following his lead, but leaving the second shark whole, I began swimming upward, my hand tight on the tailfin.

I breathed deeply when my face burst from the waves. My prize was still beneath me, desperately attempting escape, but Emmett threw the first shark on to the low ledge just above the crashing surf and reached to do the same for the one in my grasp. I was on top of it before it had even slid to a stop against the cliff face. This time, I ignored the insulated skin and sank my teeth deep, drinking the heavenly bouquet as easily as if it were human. When I finally rolled off the drained creature, I stared unfocused at a steely gray sky.

A soft laughter slowly began to penetrate my senses in time to hear Emmett say, "Damn, Bella. Rose'll probably castrate me for saying this, but that was the hottest shit I've ever seen. Oh, Edward's gonna be so pissed."

"So, about earlier," I began and wiped my hand across my chin.

He didn't even give a chance to finish, before a wide smile and big palm waved off my apology."

I smiled, too full to completely lift my head. "The other one's for you," I managed to slur, drunk from the feast.

Taking me on my word, Emmett quickly thanked me and I heard him finish the other shark. It was soothing to hear the heartbeat growing slower and slower, until it finally sputtered to a stop. By that point, I had come around enough to sit up and I watched as he pushed the heavy carcass over the edge of the shelf.

"It was really pretty good," I said.

Turning back to me, I saw his smile broaden. "Yes it was. Ready to get back home?"

Shrugging, I leaped to my feet, feeling completely energized. It was amazing how very similar my reaction to this blood was to human blood. "Any time you need a fishing buddy, I'm your gal," I joked, reaching out for his arm, but he had already disappeared up the face of the sheer glacier.

Opting for the safer route, I chose the longer and much less perilous path. Back at the top, I only spotted Emmett streaking west before I shot after him. None of them knew how fast I was. Using every bit of my body's power, I sprinted forward, gaining on Emmett with every step. When I reached him, I slowed enough to wink and watch his permanent smirk finally wipe away, before pushing ahead. I reached the doorway a full hundred yards in front of him and in my utter delight I swung my hands over my head and began to dance about, cheering for my overwhelming victory. Emmett looked slightly affronted, but when he finally stepped up the stairs, his smile was back in full force, dimples puckering his sweet cheeks.

"Now," he said loudly to the house behind me, "I want to see any of you pussies do _that_!"

Laughing right along with him, we stepped inside. My humor suddenly died in my throat. Alice, Jasper, and Edward stood next the far wall of the entry way as if expecting us. Emmett's laughter also vanished as the door snapped closed.

"What is it?" Emmett demanded, stepping forward.

Alice sighed. "You've ruined more clothes, Bella."

Something told me that wasn't why they were standing with those looks of..._despair_ on their faces.

"Is it Rose?" Emmett yelled, ready to be instantaneously angry.

But Edward shook his head. "Not us, Emmett. _Bella_." The way my name slid from his mouth was marred by a pained tone. It didn't make sense.

"What is it?" I whispered staring directly into Edward's eyes.

The room was incredibly silent for a long moment, before Alice spoke. "They're coming for you," she choked out. I was surprised to hear the same pain in her voice I had detected in Edward's a minute ago.

"Who?" Emmett asked for me, though I had the nagging suspicion exactly who she meant.

"_The Volturi_," she muttered in response. Her voice seemed like she was delivering a death sentence. I would know. It was a tone I was all too familiar with.


	12. Sacrifice

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 12 Sacrifice**

The name sounded vulgar slipping from her tongue and despite the fact it was my _friends_ coming for me, a shudder flew up my spine. "Are you sure?" I asked only because I felt like I should say something.

Emmett snorted to my left. "Have you talked to Carlisle?" His mind was more specifically on the blond bitch that left with Carlisle.

Jasper nodded. "Sure, but you know they won't check messages until they land."

Emmett focused on Alice. "Will there be time for them to make it back?" The heavy silence was his answer. Emmett nodded slowly and turned away from us, pulling his phone from his pocket and turning his back to the rest of us. I was left not entirely understanding what the sudden mood shift was about. Sure, they could be complete assholes, but the Volturi Guard were personal friends. I was in charge of the entire Volterra division. I was positive I could keep them from doing anything rash. Just as I opened my mouth to say so, Alice began shaking her head.

"No, Bella. They are coming for you."

I gaped and a strong hand grabbed my elbow. Edward's intense gaze locked with mine as I turned toward him. I think I could stare into those eyes forever. "We can figure this out. You don't have to be alone again."

I knew he meant it to reassure, but at that moment it made my anger flare wildly. I stepped away from their loose circle and out of Edward's reach. "I have never been alone," I hissed at no one in particular.

Jasper stepped forward, the calming waves surging into me. I stepped back further. "He didn't mean it that way," he tried soothing. "We want you to understand that we consider you a part of this family. You don't have to stand by yourself and face them."

"That's completely insane!" My anger was rising and bringing my voice with it. "You barely know me and half of that time I was torturing you, Jasper."

"You won't catch me betting against Alice," he responded with slightly less humor than he might have normally.

"But, surely once they see I'm alright," I blurted, grasping at anything.

The damn pixie was shaking her head again and Edward looked thoroughly nauseated. So I was fucked, but that didn't mean they had to be. A plan started to form in my head.

"No, Bella!" Alice suddenly shrieked, but I didn't look at her. Edward stepped forward, now looking completely panicked. It caught me off guard for an instant, before I hissed at them. Jasper's calming hand fell on my shoulder, but I shrugged away, a low growl building in my throat.

"Stay out of my head," I hissed again, throwing out my shield hard enough to sting them all and ran from the room. I slammed my bedroom door and breathed heavily.

I may not be able to discover the mysteries of the Cullens, but I was damned if I'd let them be harmed. Not now that I know them. Not when I felt myself loving them. I gulped that particular thought back down. It would not make things easier if I gave in to those feelings. It was going to be hard enough to leave and explaining that emotion was something I had no desire to do.

Jasper's patient understanding, Emmett's easy smile, Alice's unfailing optimism, and finally Edward's crooked grin flashed through my mind. I couldn't deny that there was something between us more powerful than I ever imagined possible. I knew he was feeling something similar. I longed to run to him, wrap my arms around his neck, and kiss him for eternity, but Alice's vision complicated everything.

I had to convince them to leave. There had to be a way to make the Guard believe that thanks to me, the Cullens were no more and I was fairly confident I could do it. Even Demetri, so attuned to the frequency of every vampire he had come into contact with, was fallible and I was one of the few privy to the knowledge that would trick the tracker.

I had to convince the Cullens first, so I finally gathered enough courage to walk into the living room. Jasper was lazing on the couch with Alice lying across him, head in his lap. They both looked at me as I approached, but I was relieved to see Edward wasn't around. I couldn't take his distraction right now. I needed my wits about me to try and make them see logic.

"Hey," I greeted guiltily.

Alice jumped from her place of comfort and ran into my arms. "I'm really sorry, Bella. I don't want to overstep your privacy. It's just I'm so attuned to you now that I can't shut a vision out."

She finished in a soft voice and the angst was palpable. The Guard must be very close.

"I can save you," I said as detached as possible.

"You can," she agreed, "but at what cost?"

Jasper stood and walked silently to us. The emotions he was setting off were a mixture of love and courage. It gave me the strength to continue and I needed to, because as long as I could keep them safe, no price seemed too high.

"Let me worry about that," I begged them. "I can fix this, but you need to trust me."

"It's not a good idea, Bella." Jasper's face was a mirror of Edward's earlier expression.

"It is," I pressed. "If I can make them think you're dead, they'll think I did it and leave it be."

"But how?" In answer to her question, I let down my shield and watched Alice's eyes glaze over. As she came to, her head was shaking again. "What about you?"

"I'll lie," I answered simply. My plan will require sacrifices from them all, but I knew they would give in as Alice's face melted in confusion. She couldn't see how Aro would react to my story and that was my safety net. So I quickly explained what they would need to do. There wasn't time to waste, so once I told them the parts they would play, I left to find the other two.

The rest of the house was uncomfortably empty and I returned to my room to lose myself in my thoughts. I had to save them. All of them. Even Carlisle's wife and Emmett's bitchy mate. None of them would be the same if any was destroyed. How could I let anything tear apart something as innocent and pure as this family? As innocent and pure as Edward?

The world would be a far more miserable place without their unity and love. It was up to me to save them, because I had been the one to bring down the weight of the Guard on their shoulders. I never should have left Volterra and refused to think about how empty I'd been there.

If I never met Edward, would I be so noble then? I doubted it. Edward was the reason I was born, the reason I lived three centuries. My tie to him was as undeniable as it was unbearable, because I could never tell him the truth. If I did, I'd never let him go and we would perish together.

Doing things this way? At least there was a chance for him. For all of them. And I had always been able to get Aro to see things my way. I wouldn't have advanced so high in the ranks had I not been able to do so. Besides, I would survive knowing that they – _he_ – survived.

Interrupting my thoughts of him, my god, _my angel,_ was suddenly in the room with me. I didn't turn around even though he strode dangerously close, close enough to feel his warm breath against my neck. I could already feel the electricity jumping from his body to mine.

"Bella," he whispered. My name sounded like a breath of fresh air. I nearly fell over. Instead, I slowly turned to him, gazing into intense golden eyes. With slow shaking fingers, Edward reached toward me. If he touches me, there'll be no way to stop, but I didn't even hesitate. I let my fingers bind to his. A fever spread from our contact like wildfire across my soul. Fireworks started at my core and moved outward, leaving me instantly breathless.

After what seemed an eternity of silence, Edward ran his other hand absently through his bronze locks, until it stood all over the place. "Why do you pretend to be invincible?" The heat swirled from the point of our contact deep into my body. My breath hitched again and praying he hadn't noticed, I stopped breathing all together.

"I'm not," I whispered back, trying to rid myself of the wildfire raging inside of me. I couldn't let this to happen. Knowing what I'd spend the rest of my existence missing would be insufferable. I stepped away releasing his hand as swiftly as I had grasped it and felt a piece of my soul tearing away with the movement. His eyes burned into mine.

"But, I know you've seen what I am, Edward." I felt like I was pleading, when I wanted nothing more than to wrap myself into him. "Believe me when I say I'm not good for you. I destroy everything I touch." Edward didn't reply, but picked up my hand again, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

"Don't you remember what I do?" I demanded, summoning up the last of my resolve. "Don't you remember what I'm capable of doing to others?" My voice took on a desperate tone. Edward had to see it wasn't healthy for him to be with me. Hell, it was deadly.

His silence stretched on for a moment longer before he pulled me against his body. My chest pressed against the hard lines of his. It wouldn be hard for him to overlook the feeling of my hardening nipples through the thin layers of clothing separating our bodies. Burying his face in my hair, he shook his head softly.

"No one else's memories of you matter, Bella. I only know what it feels like when I'm with you." He was whispering, mouth only inches from mine, but I had to strain to hear him. "I want you in every way."

I wanted to turn and taste his lips, but if I moved, I'd lose what little self control I had. He didn't seem to understand. I couldn't bear to know exactly how deeply my feelings for him ran. Nothing good could come of it. Allowing Edward to take me to that point was the only thing I wanted in that moment, but it would ruin me. My will power was already horribly unsteady. I drew in another shaky breath and before I managed to get my lungs filled and push him away, Edward's lips pressed into mine.

At first, he used a light pressure, enough so I could feel the incredible smoothness of his lips. He smiled for half a second, before I pushed myself back into him. The kiss heated as my lips parted and Edward tasted me. His venom was intoxicating. I growled softly and met his tongue with my own and when they connected, they danced together in a wild frenzy. Soft hands trekked across my back, exploring every curve.

It was all wrong and so amazingly perfect at the same time. I felt Edward's need hard against my hip and it fueled me. I hoped he wouldn't feel it in my kisses. I wished he would. My hands were all over his chest, damning the restrictive clothing barring their complete freedom.

Unable to bare it any longer, I twisted my fingers into the hem of Edward's shirt and ripped it from his flesh, exposing him in unbridled glory. I bent my head away, sacrificing his lips for a look at perfection. Edward's chest rumbled as he moved his kisses to my neck, slowly making his way from earlobe to chest. My hands rubbed his exposed skin, nails raking against it, hard enough to leave deep red marks across its length.

The scratching excited him further and Edward's kisses turned into soft nips. Instead of the stinging normally following a vampire bite, my body flooded with heat. His nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons on my shirt and he slid it off my body much more gracefully than I had done with his. He looked at me in much the same way I had ogled him, before leaning forward and placing soft kisses on my chest.

Instantly, I craved release from the mounting pressure between my legs. Pushing against him, we moved together slowly, finally rolling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and moans. It was suddenly impossible to be certain where I ended and Edward began. His lips were furiously kissing and caressing me. His tongue reached my nipple and the sensation of being inside him in any way, caused my hips to grind upward.

The pressure of his erection pressing hard against my body inflamed me. I adjusted my legs until he was completely between them and I could feel him properly. Sighing heavily, I licked his stretched neck, as he softly bit into my breast. His other hand gently drifted downward. Without removing my wandering lips from his naked flesh, my hands searched out his. He slid his fingers inside the waistband of my pants, trying to coax them lower, before I detached from him. His eyes were intense, but I held his hands steady.

"Bella," he breathed.

I thought I'd melt into him right then, but I held myself back. It would be the only time I would be able to accept his pleasure. This was the one place I lacked the most self control. "Listen to me," I said in a somewhat breathless voice. "You don't want to do." My words hung in the air. Edward was breathing as hard as I was from our kissing. I had pushed myself into a sitting position, looking down at him. I tried to forget I was still so close to having him inside me, but our entwined legs made it impossible. Still, I wanted him to agree with me, to run away as fast as he could.

Instead, he smiled that damn, crooked grin and I swear I nearly swooned. Suddenly, I hated it as much as I loved it, because it could never be mine. I opened my mouth to try and sway him again, but Edward's landed on my breast first and whatever I had been about to say was swallowed in desire. I tentatively raised an arm and ran my hand through the soft bronze hair. We both groaned and he raised his head to catch my lips again, letting his hands wander over every inch of my exposed flesh.

I let him lead the dance between our mouths and relished in every flick of his tongue, every hot breath he exhaled into me. It was intoxicating. Slowly, his fingers slid down my stomach to my pants. He hesitated, but never stopped kissing. I groaned an urgent request and pressed myself harder into him, making sure he would feel the growing wetness between my legs. To my utter delight, he pressed back hungrily. More passion flooded from my lips than I'd ever experienced before and Edward devoured it hungrily, only adding to the mounting pressure. His hands gently pushed my pants from my legs.

When he pressed his erection against my body this time, shudders of delight spun through me like a whirl wind. I wrapped my legs tighter around him, wishing I could push him away, but it was much too late for that now. I would never stop him, no matter how much damage it will do.

Edward's kisses only intensified and he began to remove the final layer of my clothing barrier. My hands were tangled in his hair and I leaned over to bite his neck lustfully. His head was bent over my breast, teasing my nipples as he finally slid into me. I gasped loudly at the sudden sensation and Edward moaned from his throat, lips pressed tightly on my erect peak. His entire body shuddered.

I looked to see his eyes locked on me. Excruciatingly slow, he pulled away before quickly burying himself deeper. My back arched hungrily and I wrapped my ankles over the back of his thighs, giving more friction to his thrusts. What started as slow, gentle pushes, turned into frantic, passionate thrusting. He speared into me, pushed hard and I pressed back. We gyrated and clawed at one another. My climax built to an astounding height, before Edward's own frantic orgasm caused me to finally explode. I wrapped myself to him tightly, my body lifting completely from the ground. I felt him pulse his release as my body tensed and shook against him. He groaned louder as my insides clamped around his erection and in a final wave of electricity, I screamed his name, letting the intensifying pleasure roll from my core.

I held tight to him, until my muscles loosened on their own. Slipping away left an empty feeling in my chest as well as between my legs, but too much time had passed already. I started to sit up, but Edward's hands reached for my face. With a hand on either side, he looked at me for a long while, breathing heavily into the short distance between us. I saw what was going to happen. He wasn't going to let me go.

I tried to ignore the burning of his eyes. It felt like he could see everything – my entire past, all my sins – and I wanted to hide from him. I never should have allowed myself to have him. His innocence was still pure and I was about to take it away. The shame swirled through my desire drenched body. I would take everything I could until he let me go. I had to. There was no way he would survive at my side.

I shrugged from his touch and stood, still completely naked. Edward's eyes rolled leisurely up my frame. I shoved away the wave of lust rolling over me. "It's time," I said with as little emotion as I could force.

His eyes were shocked. "You can't be serious."

I let my anger rise, forcing it to lash out at Edward when I was really furious with myself. "Of course I'm serious! What do you think this was about?" I gestured at our naked flesh.

There had never been anything so perfect and pure in my life before Edward and it only took four short seconds to erase myself from his life. My chest shuddered and I was glad I had moved so he wouldn't feel as a piece of me tore away. He looked like I'd slapped him. His pained eyes told me exactly what he thought it meant, but I didn't let him voice it. I wouldn't be able to finish if he used his velvet voice. I pressed on, watching as his face fell with my every word.

"What did you expect? I have a life in Volterra. You thought I'd never go back?" I tried to let out a convincing laugh, but it felt more like a sob. "Volterra is my home! I'm the Chief Interrogator independently in charge of the entire home district! What could you possibly offer me to even begin to compare?"

I stood naked and shivering next to him. I had never felt so exposed for what I truly was as I did in that moment. I wanted to run away, as I wanted him to do before. I never wanted to look into those eyes knowing the pain I caused him. I never again wanted to see what kind of monster I was, but the picture was already permanently imprinted into mind.

Edward looked away from me, dropping down to slip on his discarded jeans. My insides were tearing apart, but I tried to look away. I couldn't bear this memory as my last. I couldn't bear to watch as my god crumbled.

Before he could leave, I let myself breathe out a final goodbye. He turned at the door to look back at me. Where before I had wanted to melt into him, I now wanted to melt into the floor rather than endure the narrowed black eyes as he raked them over my body. He brought a hand to his chest and with a sharp metallic rip, tore a strip of his flesh away. The scent of his venom surged through the room.

My mouth dropped open in shock and I actually jumped away from it as he tossed it to my feet. "Good bye, Bella." There was an angry edge to his voice that cut deep, but it was nothing less than I deserved. Without another glance, he slid through the door and ran from the house. My last vision of Edward was him sprinting away from me forever. I sighed and pressed my face into the cool glass.

After as long a time I felt like I could spend pining, I crept from my room and for the next few painfully slow hours, I did my best to ignore the looks Alice and Jasper shot me as we built the woodpile for the burning and made sure it was properly doused with gasoline. I threw my shield out enough to hide the bulk of my emotions from Jasper, but they were both curious as to the mood. I was just grateful they had all agreed to donate to the sacrifice and secure their safety.

I placed Edward's torn flesh deep in the pile of timber. I had taken it from him, torn it from his chest like the monster I was. I sighed loudly, but felt Emmett bounce up to me side. The sun fell ever lower in the strangely clear sky. "Well, Bells, I just wanted you to know that I'm proud to have known you. You're quite possibly the most brilliant, cunning and sexy woman I have met. Next to my Rosie, of course." He smiled broadly and I couldn't help but return it and mean it. "It won't be the same without you around, so whenever you're ready, I'll come and bust you back out."

"Thanks, Emmett. I'll keep that in mind," I laughed, knowing I'd never let it come to that.

Emmett's massive arms wrapped around me, lifting me from the ground and he hugged me in a very genuine display of affection. "I'm really going to miss you, Volterra," he whispered in my ear.

"I think I'll miss you too, big guy."

Emmett released me, still smiling. "Well, only one thing left to do," he shrugged and with no hesitation, bit his middle finger from his left hand. He spit it loudly into the pile of logs and wiggled the remaining four in front of his face. My stomach flipped uncomfortably even though I knew he'd have it back in a few days.

With a final wink, Emmett ran off into the endless snow covered hills, laughing loudly as he went. I watched him go, knowing he would be meeting Edward at their designated waiting point. Despite my arguments against it, I had been out voted four to one and the others decided they'd stay and watch from a distance, to make sure I wasn't attacked on the spot. I doubted that even a very close proximity could make any difference if the Guard decided to kill me, but my confidence I would be believed made me relent.

The sun sank ever lower, and Alice cleared her throat. She pointed to a low hill, the very hill Edward had disappeared over when Carlisle had asked for time alone with me. "They'll come over that rise in an hour. You need to start the fire so it has time to burn."

I nodded.

"Oh, Bella!" She cried and flung herself into my arms. "Please say you'll see us again," she pleaded.

"Isn't that something you already see?" I asked, my nerves beginning to get the better of me.

She shook her head sadly and dropped her arms. Her excitement seemed to fizzle out before my eyes. "Everything depends on the Brothers' decision."

She leaned in and gave me a kiss on my cheek. She flung something toward the fire pit, and was gone. I watched her disappear, too.

Then, Jasper's hand was on my shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"There's no other way," I groaned and I felt him nod.

He was quiet, but made no attempt to move, so I turned around slowly. When I looked at him, I wondered if he could feel everything despite my shield. I had never been able to block my emotions as well my mind. Immediately, Jasper's arms were around me. I hugged him back tightly, my fear starting to bubble upward. Not for me, but for them.

"Promise you will get far enough away they won't find you," I demanded.

"Of course."

"And don't let...don't let anyone do anything stupid, ok? Just make them fall asleep or whatever, so that no matter what happens, they'll stay safe." He chuckled, the vibrations spreading through me from his chest. "Promise me!" I shouted desperately.

He ran a hand through my hair. "Of course, Bella." He pulled away from me and handed the piece of his flesh to add to the fire. "Take a shower," he said with a soft smile.

"Shower?" I wondered aloud. "If I just defeated you, your smells would be all over my clothing. They'd expect it."

Jasper's lips curled up into a smirk. "Yes, but they won't expect you fucked any of us before lighting the torch."

He can smell it, too? Shit. Edward's sex scent was the one thing I'd been relying on to get me through this, but Jasper was embarrassingly right. It would do nothing to help my case if either of my ex-lovers smelt it on me. I sighed and avoided the look on Jasper's face.

Finally, he pressed his lips to my forehead. "Good bye, Bella," he whispered and was gone.

And I was alone. Never before in my entire existence had I felt more alone than I did right then, but I had no time to dwell. They would be here in less than an hour. Ceremoniously, I placed Jasper's flesh in the pile and pulled a silver lighter from my pants. It lit the first try and the entire mound was suddenly ablaze. The incredible heat rushed my body, but I shivered.

There, heavy in the thick plumes of purple smoke, was the most wonderful, most horrifying scent ever. I could smell each of them, but mostly Edward's too familiar aroma, spilling into my pores. Underneath the beautiful scents I knew, was the smell of burning – of _death _-and it sickened me.

I ran from the climax of my lies and directly to scrub the scent from my body, wishing I could scrub it from my mind at the same time. It made showering easier. I didn't want the smell of the permeating smoke to ever reach my body again. I finished quickly and slipped on the clothes Alice had laid out on my bed. It seemed more appropriately suited for a white sand beach somewhere in the tropics, but I also saw the amazing appeal the thin white gown held. I knew how stunning I would look at the top of the hill, the bright white of the dress rivaling the snow.

I left the house without a final glance back and streaked past the smoldering fires, holding my breath from the nauseating fumes. I reached the summit of the low hill, just as the wind picked up. My dress and hair was tugged away from my body and back toward the circling violet smoke. Then, against the landscape, I saw three figures moving steadily forward. They went from slight shadows against the white wasteland to figures I recognized easily. As they walked forward, all three pairs of eyes stared intently at the unnatural purple cloud dissipating slowly in the wind.

Demetri cautiously tested the air for the echoes of the Cullen's he recognized. I held my breath until I was sure he thought they were only remnants, and not living frequencies. I knew he would sense them for days after death, but hoped Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Edward had gotten far enough away that he didn't see the ploy.

"Bella," the relief in the familiar voice made my knees go weak. Then, Felix was pressed against me and I felt too aware of Edward's hurt eyes watching the embrace. But Felix's strong arms gave me strength to shift into the other version of myself and that's exactly what I needed.

"It took you long enough," I lied. "I nearly _died_, no thanks to you," I looked pointedly at each of them.

"They're all gone?" Jane looked almost disappointed.

"_Yes_," I hissed back, furious at her hunger to kill a Cullen. "Like I said, '_No thanks to you_.'"

She looked away angrily. I wasn't sure why, but suddenly Jane was making me very nervous.

"I think she's right," Demetri added.

"You _think_?" I scoffed. "Well, I _know_. Now, if you don't mind, I've been waiting to go home."

Without a second glance, I started walking. I passed between Jane and Demetri, leaving a stunned Felix still holding his arms like I was inside them. Each step took me further from Edward, but the guilt only built inside. It's the only way, I reminded myself. With Felix following closely and Jane and Demetri still inspecting the ashes, I thought it might tear me apart to spend one more second so close to what, under different circumstances, might have been my _everything_.

I began to run.

I ran because the best thing in my life was gone from me forever.

I ran because I felt like if I stopped, the whole world would come crashing down on top of me.

I ran because I couldn't bear to stand still any more.


	13. Sell Your Soul

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Music and chapter title inspired by Hollywood Undead. **

**Chapter 13 ****Sell Your Soul**

EPOV

My brooding was failing miserably. Mostly because Emmett was taunting me relentlessly with his thoughts. No matter how hard I tried to shut him out, it was impossible. He was always shouting.

_So you gave away your cherry. So what? Buck up! You're a man now._

It was maddening. But in the end, I knew he was right on some level. I had always thought myself apart from the others, lacking in a way they were not. I'd always been aware of that difference though I never felt like it was a shortcoming. On the contrary, I secretly accepted my relative disinterest in members of the fairer sex as my greatest strength. There had never been anyone to interrupt my thirst for knowledge and intelligence. Never anyone until I met her.

She was beautiful and alluring in all the wrong ways, but I couldn't regret giving the last piece of myself to her. Despite her words after, it was beautiful and magnificent and so much more than any book or any mind could duplicate.

What my overbearing brother failed to see, was I was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Bella. I felt like I had never lived a day until she stepped next to my car outside of Volterra. Now, she was gone from my existence as easily and thoroughly as shutting off a light switch. I knew I was a better man for having known her, but I also understood I'd never get over her. She was the only woman I would ever love and I made such a fool of myself.

Traipsing into her room like some hormonal teenage human was, perhaps, not the best way to let her know my feelings, but, at the time, it was the only thing I could do. Bella had so completely penetrated my mind and body. I couldn't resist her any longer. A century training myself to ignore my instincts and it came crashing down in a way I had never anticipated.

It wasn't like I had gone in there to lose my virginity. I only wanted to touch her, to kiss her, to feel her body against mine, but as far as actually engaging in _that_ act with her, it hadn't been a part of my plan. Not that it didn't have a completely wonderful and natural outcome, but it made it worse to think of it like that and know she hadn't felt the same. She tried to warn me. She attempted to tell me I was making a mistake. But I couldn't stop myself. I didn't want to stop, ever. Blood lust was nothing compared to the desire I felt when I kissed her lips.

Now, I wanted desperately to forget her. How would I ever be able to continue on having lost someone like Bella? Impossible, especially after seeing her stand alone on the rise. Even the wind was jealous of the fabric clinging to her perfection. It whipped the ghostly shroud away from her as if to strip her naked.

_Dramatic, isn't it?_ Alice thought, with a smile on her face. I couldn't help but agree. Bella had never before looked so much the angel I felt she was. Slowly, the Guard made their way closer and I recognized the two males immediately. Hearing their thoughts about her was almost too much to bear, but Alice had a vision just before I sprang from our lookout to rip their heads from their necks and Emmett and Jasper were able to restrain me.

Demetri's mind was full of lust and pornography starring my mahogany goddess, but the details were clear enough that I knew he already had the experience. And the small female's mind was laced in venom. As she stared at Bella through hate-filled eyes, her every thought screamed for extinction. But it was nothing compared to the third, Felix. When he looked at Bella, he saw nothing but love. It seemed pale in comparison with my own feelings for her, but he loved her nonetheless. I attempted to ignore those thoughts under my brothers' firm hands and tried to focus. Above everything else, he was relieved that he wouldn't have to turn against the others today, relieved that they wouldn't try and destroy her, relieved that he would be taking her home.

Where she wanted to be. I tried to tell myself that over and over, but couldn't stop feeling like she belonged with me. In my life, not in his. Regardless of my thoughts, Felix pulled her body close to his, in the embrace my arms ached to have.

It was all I could take. I pulled away from Jasper and Emmett and began to run. It seemed childish and immature, but my mind was pushed beyond rational thought watching her so close to someone else. I only wanted to get away. As far and as fast as I could.

It was a few hours later and after I had found an angry polar bear, before I headed back toward Nord. The others would be waiting, ready to leave. To hide until Alice saw something to let us know Bella had followed through and the Volturi believed us dead. Alice and Emmett were already gone and I found Jasper sitting sullenly on the front stairs of the house. Without saying anything, I flopped myself next to him.

We sat in companionable silence for awhile. Of all my siblings, I was glad it was Jasper who remained. He wouldn't try and make me feel better with streams of reassurances like Alice, and he wouldn't tease and taunt like Emmett. Carlisle and Esme would be beyond embarrassing and Rosalie would be absolutely intolerable. I could only imagine the comments she would throw at me. But Jasper was different. He would accept my feelings and not press me further than I wanted into telling him anything. Of course, that made me even more likely to spill.

"Where'd they go?" I managed to ask.

"Denali." He answered simply.

After another silence, I spoke again. "What are we supposed to do?"

Jasper shrugged, meeting my eyes. "That depends on you," he said, then smiled. "I am to hang around until you move on."

"There's nothing to move on from," I muttered unhappily.

Jasper laughed despite my sour mood. "Riiight. Be honest with yourself, Edward. You've never felt like that about anyone before."

Tell me something I didn't know, but I said, "Like it matters."

He threw an arm over my shoulder, giving me a little shake. The contact spread calming pulses through me. "According to Alice, it _does_ matter."

My despair surged at his words though I know he meant to comfort. I sank lower into the ground, hoping the earth would swallow me.

BPOV

My arms wrapped around my chest as I desperately tried to hold on to everything I was leaving behind. My mind screamed at me to turn around, to run back into his arms, but I knew I couldn't. I could never go back. Knowing it, _doing _it caused my mental state to shift violently. I could feel them watching me. All of them. Could they understand what was happening from where they sat? Could they see me falling apart – drowning in on myself?

I did my best to hide my breakdown, but I couldn't help wondering how I came to this. This was the worst kind of nightmare and I was struggling to breathe as unnecessary as it was. My lungs ached for air – for _something_ – and the whole time I could feel their eyes on me, all over me. Whatever tied me to this earth had been shut off and gone with the shudder of my spine.

I threw it all away. The words screamed through my thoughts over and over, but there was really nothing left to do about it. It was already over. Over before it began. Now, I just had to get away.

I found no comfort as the plane departed. I closed my eyes wearily and tried to ignore my despairing thoughts. I forced the hate deep into my heart, because it would be my only friend - the constant reminder of what I was. So much had changed and I knew I would never feel whole again. I threw away the very best part of me and I wanted it to kill me.

Volterra was a shell of what it had once been. Walls and buildings lay fallen and crumpled all over the city, reminding me even more how my insides felt. _He_ had done this, created this destruction to save his family. My eyes stung in the smoke clogged air.

I can't go on this way. But even as it crushed me, I kept moving. I returned to the charred skeleton of my home only to find that even here I could not find distraction. I drew inward, refusing even the basic of necessities. I did not speak. I did not feed. I did not move. I did not care. I pushed the hate further into me, until it consumed me completely.

People came and went. Some seemed almost familiar, others not. I didn't care. I still didn't lift my head from the floor just inside the door. I wouldn't breathe and even the meager blood bags they left went untouched. The smell of the human blood made it worse. It was too rusty, too salty, and being so close to it made my head spin and my stomach flip. They stopped bringing it when I started throwing it back at their heads, causing the plastic to burst all over them in true Carrie-style.

The next sensation I was aware of was a strong arm, wrapping tightly around my waist and lifting me into a shower of steaming water. I supposed I was naked and that I should care who was washing me, but I couldn't. I just let them, even when the slow motions hesitated a little too long over my breasts, between my thighs.

Then, I was clothed. Someone ran a brush softly through almost dry hair. I hadn't even realized that time was passing. I didn't believe it possible anymore. How could there be _anything_, when _everything_ was so completely gone?

A voice called to me. "Isabella!"

It wasn't the velvety softness I longed to hear, the voice that would never echo through my ears again. I didn't answer.

A sudden sting burned on my cheek. It was dull at first, but began to rage as the force behind it began to clear my mind for the first time in days. Words shook from my lips, as I found my voice again.

"_You. Slapped. Me._" Not as impressive as I meant, but I did have the strength to snap my shield out quickly. Anyone within a mile of me should have been knocked over at the force I put behind it. But I only had the strength to do it once and my head fell wearily back.

Whoever was with me seemed to realize my weakness, too. With a hand on each shoulder, I was shaken roughly. "Jesus, Isabella. Snap out of it! What the hell is the matter with you?"

I allowed my eyelids to flutter open and saw him kneeling before me, still gripping my shoulders with panic in his blackening eyes.

"Felix," I breathed, not really sure if I should feel comforted or even more guilty.

He loved me, too.

"Isabella!" He shouted again as my eyes threatened to roll into my head. "It's almost time for the trial. You have to be coherent enough to tell them what happened."

I moaned and his lips brushed my forehead lightly. "A trial?" I felt him nod. "Then, this is it, isn't it?" I would be out of my misery soon enough, so I stood and moved away from those hands, hands that had loved and worshiped me. I didn't deserve Felix's help. I'd been a monster to him, too. Still, he would not be shaken. He tenderly grabbed my hand and lifted me to my feet.

I felt my heart crumble away as I let Felix lead me to the tower. We didn't immediately go to the throne room and instead we made our way up the spiraling staircase to a private room on the upper level. Only it wasn't a room. It was a cell.

I stared mechanically from between the bars. Is this real? I wondered. The mob underneath the window doubled as I stared down at them. More witnesses to my end. I could sense the blood lust in the air, but it was for my blood they thirsted. They were going to kill me. They'll drain me as I kneel before them. I'll be burned at the stake and I had no choice but to just let them have me. There was no reason for me to continue existing after what I've done.

I closed my eyes again. The gleam of the guillotine was sharp in my memories. Of course they would torture me before I met the end. That is what they do. They drain the blood and venom of their enemies. At least it couldn't possible hurt worse than I'd already hurt myself. That would be inconceivable.

Eventually, Felix led me to the throne room, where it seemed the entire vampire population of Volterra had gathered. I knew many of the faces, but they all scowled at me. It was nothing less than I deserved. After all, it was not only Edward I had betrayed though my betrayal to these faces was nothing in comparison. They were here to bear witness to my mistakes and I couldn't care.

I kept my eyes focused on Aro and tried to forget everything else.

He stared at me for a moment until he acknowledged I was looking back and offered a forced smile. I didn't bother to return it. I saw my sentence as plain as day in those ancient, misty eyes. I saw the glorified disease staring me through Aro's face. It was a disease which used to infect me too.

But, I no longer suffered from that particular ailment. I was no longer at the mercy of Volterra. Something much stronger held my heart. I bowed my head before the brothers. Felix remained steadfastly by my side, but if I let myself dwell on the gesture, it would only serve to be the final nail in my coffin. I refused to lose anyone else. Instead, I did everything I could to respond to whatever question came at me. I did my best to lie. It was the last thing I could do.

By some small miracle of fate, I had always been impenetrable to Aro's power, so they could only have what I gave them. My own voice was hallow and numb as I described the death of the family I could never be a part of.

What were a few more lies, a little more hurt?

When I finished my tale, I finished completely, leaving myself entirely at the mercy of the Brothers. I didn't need to hear when Aro spoke my sentence, but I willed myself to listen.

"To say I am disappointed is an understatement. All you had to do to leave our ranks was say it. Desertion is an entirely different matter. Despite having a change of heart while gone, it does nothing to lessen the offense. Especially, _you_, my Bella. I expected so much more from you than this." He almost looked sad for an instant, before a wicked light burned in his eyes. "It is for that you are hence forth, for eternity, stripped of your rank in our elite. Let yourself stand as a reminder that rules must be followed. You are hereby sentenced to extinction."

The collective gasp of the witnesses and Felix's hand reaching out to squeeze mine brought me back from the darkness again. It was over. Done. Part of me was relieved. My pain would be over soon. Then, I realized Felix was snarling.

"How can you do this?" He spat at Aro. "She was the closest thing you've had to a daughter, and you throw her to the wolves? What kind of justice are you selling, Aro?"

All three of the Brothers' cloudy red eyes narrowed on Felix. Even my undead skin felt the coolness of their stares. A hush fell over the expectant crowd.

"I'd bite my tongue, dear Felix," Caius crooned. "Unless you'd like to end up like your lady here. But, perhaps you just don't know her as well as you thought."

Felix glanced at me, then back to the brothers. Caius was scowling and Aro's eyes flickered with excitement. Marcus looked as bored as usual. On the outside, nothing looked out of place, but they gave me an uneasy feeling. One that Felix clearly felt, too, as he stepped slightly in front of me in a gesture of protection.

"What does that mean?" He hissed. I was suddenly nervous for him and put my hand on his arm to try and calm him. I felt as he relaxed a bit.

It was Aro who spoke this time. "She did not kill the Cullens in Greenland. If they are dead, it was not by her hand." His eyes turned their evil stare to me. "Do not lie to me, child. I know all. Demetri is already tracking the others."

"She never said she got all of them!" Felix shouted exasperatedly.

"No," Aro agreed, his smile widening threateningly. "But she never told us of the ties she made in these past weeks." He glanced over at Marcus. "It seems our dear Isabella has made deep connections indeed."

Felix looked at me, but I kept my eyes fixed on Marcus. I felt like an idiot. In all my planning, I never took into account Marcus' ability. His specialty was sensing the strength of relationships, always looking for weakness in those connections. He would naturally sense the feelings I had for Edward and would never believe I destroyed him. Fuck.

Aro was going on without waiting for my reaction. "We will have your _beloved_ soon enough." He said like it was something dirty. "Too bad you won't be around to see him one last time." Aro clasped a hand over his nonexistent heart and feigned a swoon.

The next thing I knew four more of the guard shoved toward me. Felix sprung into action, pulling me behind me and growling furiously.

"Tut, tut, Felix," Aro chided again. "This will be your last warning."

Through clenched teeth Felix snarled a response. "I will take her."

The others backed off with a nod from Aro and Felix began to gently pull me from the throne room. He led me back to the cell and gently laid me on the sofa. I closed my eyes from his face immediately. It was too much.

I breathed in deeply two times, knowing it would never again feel like enough. Luckily, my time to breathe was fading fast. "Felix," my voice was the barest whisper, only loud enough for his sensitive hearing to understand. "I am so sorry."

It was all I could say, but I tried desperately to apologize for the half century of heartache I had caused him. It was insane for me to have treated him as I did. Above all else, Felix was a good soul. What I hadn't known during all those years, is that real love has the power to break you. I knew it all too well now and I knew what every word, every touch had done to him. Yet, he was still here. Still by my side. No matter how desperately I wished it was someone else's arms comforting me, Felix was still here. I owed him the truth. Or at least the part I could tell him without crushing him further than I already had.

So, I whispered that I did love him, however insignificant that amount was. I told him I now saw every mistake I made, each time I had hurt him and apologized over and over. He placed gentle undeserved kisses on my cheeks, where the tears would have flowed had I been able to shed them.

I explained that I knew what love meant now, what it could do to a soul. He understood without me telling him that I was not speaking of my love for him, but he continued to try and soothe me in a way one can only when they loved. It was the way I wished I could touch Edward at this moment. I wished I could reassure him that as long as he lived, it would be fine.

Eventually, my quiet sobbing interrupted my speech and I could think of nothing but Edward. My mind floated away, back to those wonderfully dark memories, but somehow, Felix bore it and stayed by my side through my breakdown.

It was so much more than I would ever deserve.

Three sunrises and sunsets he endured as I grieved my lost love, the love I so selfishly threw away. Then, with the barest whisper, he finally spoke again. "It's time, Bella." It sounded more pained and broken than I imagined which only brought on a new round of shaking guilt.

He rubbed my hair softly, shushing me. "Bella, don't blame yourself. You can't help who you love. You never loved me. I knew that. I never held any delusions you felt what I did."

I raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled, letting a small smile lift his lips. It was almost wonderful. "I mean, of course I hoped you'd fall in love with me one day, but let's face it. We both knew it would never happen.

"I won't pretend I understand what's happened to you, Isabella, but I know what hasn't changed at all. I love you and you love me and even if it's not enough to change anything, it should be enough to change _something_!" He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, trying desperately to show me how deep and true his feelings ran. It killed me, but I let him do it. It was goodbye.

When he backed away, he looked into my eyes for a long silent time. "Can you trust me?" He whispered.

I nodded. Of course I trusted him.

"Then, we run."

I was shocked and not about to let him ruin his future for me. "No." My voice was hard. "I'll take what I deserve."

He looked ready to cry and took my face in his hands. "Oh no, don't ever say that. You don't deserve this. You didn't do anything wrong. You fell in love with some one Aro doesn't approve, but that's not his choice to make."

I didn't deserve Felix. I didn't deserve the Cullens or Edward. In my mind, my sentence was exactly what I deserved for turning traitor to myself. There was nowhere I could run away from that. There was only one way to escape myself and it was time.


	14. Truth and Lies

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 14 Truth and Lies**

EPOV

"Dude, stop that shit!"

"What?" I asked him innocently, looking up slowly.

Jasper's eyes met mine with an incredulous look. _Falling apart, _he thought, but said, "Sulking. It's making me insane."

I knew that wasn't a lie. For the past few days, he hadn't even tried to hide his homicidal thoughts toward me. I understood it was hard for him. He missed her too, and the family, especially Alice, but my emptiness since Bella was anything but lessening. Each day, my long dead heart seemed to crumble further away.

Jasper pulled his phone from his pocket and began dialing Alice. Her voice mail picked up on the first ring. He sighed heavily as he left a brief message, not bothering to hide his irritation. "I know you said that I should stay, but seriously, Edward is driving me crazy! I love you. Bye"

He immediately dialed Carlisle. Voice mail again. "Just checking in," he said simply.

I ran my fingers absently through my hair, remembering the way Bella's fingers felt grabbing on to it as her lips danced with mine. Jasper groaned loudly and dialed again. This time it was Emmett's voice telling him to leave a message. He did.

"What? Did you all go on some mass hunting expedition? Where the fuck is everyone?"

My brother was losing his grip and I knew it had everything to do with this funk I'd been in. It was like I had no control over myself. Every single part of me ached for her, even though she didn't want me. _She didn't want me_. It still stung to remember the words passing through her sweet lips. I wanted her so much, it had never crossed my mind she wouldn't want me in the same way. But these feeling for her were so incredibly strong. Why couldn't she feel it, too?

Jasper was dialing again, but I didn't bother to look to see who he was trying. It wasn't surprising it was Rosalie who answered the phone. He seemed to relax incredibly. _Finally!_

"I was wondering when you were going to call," she answered in a bored tone.

"Where's Alice?" Jasper demanded immediately.

Rosalie was silent for a minute.

"What's wrong?" He asked again.

"I thought you'd know."

Her voice hung in the air for a long time before it penetrated my thoughts. Something was very wrong. Something beside the fact that I'd been a complete wreck since Bella left. Something that made a crack in my walls, if only long enough to remember that I wasn't alone, not really. I still had a family who needed me as much as I needed Bella. Guilt overpowered me and I slumped back into the chair, my eyes intent on Jasper's face.

Since Emmett and Alice left Nord, we hadn't tried to contact anyone in the family until today. Something had happened and I had us so involved in _me_ that we'd missed it entirely.

"I told you she was nothing but trouble," Rosalie said in her smug voice. "That little bitch has brought down the strength of the Volturi on our heads."

"It's not like that," Jasper responded calmly. Luckily, I wasn't the one with the phone in my hand or she would have gotten an ear full of expletives.

"You and Edward know better than anyone what she's like. She's spiteful, angry, and even worse than..."

"Than you?" Jasper filled in for her. "Can't take a little competition, Rosie?"

She hissed into the phone. "Everything that's happening is because you invited her into our lives. The whole damn family is cracking and it has everything to do with that stupid -"

I snatched the phone before he had the chance to speak his calm response. "You better watch your tongue," I spat then added, "What do you mean, 'cracking?'"

She hesitated.

"Alice wouldn't tell me anything," she finally answered in a softer tone. "I don't even know where Emmett's gone. She said, 'the less we knew, the better.'"

"You're alone?" I asked, suddenly nervous.

"Esme is with me. Alice and Emmett left here with Eleazar and Kate and told us to take the rest of the Denali Coven north. All I know is she and Emmett were trying to lead the trackers in the opposite direction."

"And Carlisle?" I questioned as my stomach sank further.

She was shaking her head. I could hear the way her hair brushed her shoulders. "He took the jet," she finally whispered. Her fear was becoming my fear and Jasper sat on the edge of his seat, completely horrified of whatever she'd say next. "Esme is beside herself," she said in the same low tone. "He's never hidden anything from her before."

"And no one is answering their cells," I added as an afterthought.

"No." Rosalie's voice picked up its previous venom. "And, like I said it's all her fault."

"I told you to stop!" I growled. "This would have happened anyway! Aro's been after Carlisle for centuries." My temper receded immediately and I was ashamed of my outburst. Rosalie was just scared I reminded myself, so I added in a much softer tone, "Keep Esme safe. And yourself. The Volturi has endless resources."

I hung up the phone and immediately dialed Carlisle. His voice mail picked up right away, so I called Emmett, then Alice. Nothing.

"Where are they?" Jasper asked, not really expecting an answer. He snatched the phone away, and sent a short text to Alice. "I can't believe all the secrets. What's she seen?"

I looked at the immaculately clean floor and thought it over. Alice had definitely seen something. Rationally, I knew she had a good reason for keeping us all in the dark, but it didn't make it easier to take. Something was happening. I just didn't know what.

APOV

Everyone had their part to play in this. I wasn't sure if there was a good way for any of it to end, but I was sure I had done everything to sway the odds in our favor. Since I had seen the first vision – the one that had knocked me into as near a coma as a vampire could get – I followed every step necessary, changing and weaving when the circumstances called for it. I actually felt quite brilliant at the way things had worked out so far.

First and foremost, I had been able to keep Edward from seeing the whole picture. It wouldn't do any good to have him angry about everything from the first day. No. It had been much smarter to reel him in slowly, then thrust it into his face so he wouldn't have the chance to scoff. It was actually much easier than I thought. Not that I'd ever let Edward in that particular fact.

Then, I allowed myself to be captured, betting on meeting Bella. I had known immediately her connection to our family would be strong. Jasper surprised me in Volterra, but it worked to our benefit. Bella had tortured him relentlessly, but in the end, she seemed to have found a new best friend. Jasper considered her the same, I knew. It was a surprising gift added, because I already knew what kind of effect she'd have on Edward. I'd already seen how hopelessly their lives would bind together. It was terrifying. I knew the end of one would be the end of the other now that they'd met. Neither could survive the chasm that would inevitably rip apart their souls if the other died.

And there was still no telling how this was going to end. Even as I sprinted after Emmett, gracefully ducking in and out of the trees, I had no idea. Right now, I could see everything was going as planned. Carlisle even called to let me know Felix had contacted him. She wasn't doing well. I had a vision of her lying on a dusty floor, unmoving and shaking. The Brothers were going to find her guilty. Guilty and punished to death.

I sighed, but kept running. Carlisle had it under control or at least as much as he possibly could. I only hoped that my compassionate and loving father could do something to save her. His mind flashed idea after idea as he thought over what he'd be willing to do. I had told him everything, before I asked him to go. He took it all in, especially when I spoke of the bond between Bella and Edward, before finally agreeing to do everything he could. He understood it meant the happiness of his family forever, but might also mean a permanent end to it. But he agreed. He loved Bella in his own way and Edward beyond reason and he went when I asked.

I shouldn't dwell on any of that, though. I didn't need my visions to know Demetri and his posse of three was gaining. It was all part of the plan. Let them come, I thought and giggled a bit. I could see Emmett smile in front of me and sure enough, when he turned around, his grin was stretched wide.

"What's up?" He loved this.

My smile grew. "You're gonna love it!" I giggled again.

His deep laughter echoed through the trees. Hopefully, it was just loud enough for our little friends to hear. They weren't going to know what hit them. There were still many miles to go before they caught us, but the surprise would be on them and ask anyone who knows me, I live for surprises!

As we ran, my mind drifted to Jasper. Keeping everything from him had been the hardest. I wasn't sure he suspected anything, but I felt heartless for having to do it in the first place. Jasper was like a Sunday morning in summer, all goodness and sunshine, but I knew he'd be on to me soon. At least I had done what I could. Edward would have been fine if I had let him run on his own for awhile, but I asked Jasper to stay for his safety. He was too protective and I knew he would put himself in danger if he thought something was threatening me.

My phone vibrated suddenly in my pocket. Without missing a step, I flipped it open. Jasper was calling. So, they were about to figure out I was up to something. Thank heavens, no one knew exactly what.

A few minutes later, it rang again. I didn't even glance at the name, just tapped the button on the side, silencing the vibrations. I didn't even know what to tell him – how to explain what I'd done. So I ignored it. When it vibrated twice in short succession, I knew he'd sent a text. Four small words greeted me: _What is going on?_

Ok, so they knew, but they couldn't stop it now. Everything had already been set in motion. Rose and Esme were leading Carmen and the Denali sisters farther north. Carlisle was on his way to Italy. Emmett and I were running south and Edward and his overreactions were completely out of the way.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and kept going. I couldn't see the ending yet, but all players were in place. A few hundred miles later, I whispered forward into the darkness. "At dawn, Emmett."

He didn't acknowledge my words in any way, but I could see an immediate tensing in his shoulders. He was gearing up for the brawl. We were running straight for a clearing where Demetri and company would attempt to head us off. It wouldn't be long now and even Emmett had grown somber in the midst of the upcoming battle.

The meadow was easy to spot, though it was still a dusty gray in the early morning light. A fine mist rolled around our ankles and Emmett and I paused in the middle of the clearing, glancing around the eerie half light. I suddenly felt more uneasy than I should given I knew the outcome of the situation. I just couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going wrong.

Then, I saw the vision just as I heard it starting. A high pitched keen from the east. I recognized it right away as did Emmett and we were speeding off together in that direction. Oh, no! No, no, no, no! Not Kate!

We reached the spot where Eleazar and Kate had been lying in ambush, waiting the confrontation to begin back at the meadow. Kate was sprawled on the forest floor, her pale hair splayed around her, covering her face. Eleazar was bent next to her in a protective crouch growling up at the hulking Demetri. Though he had turned away from his roots after meeting his wife Carmen, Eleazar was a trained Volturi Guardsman during the peak of their expansion. He was well learned in the ways of combat. I couldn't tell if Kate was still alive, but she wasn't moving.

"What's this about?" Emmett's voice boomed through the trees.

Demetri looked over at us and sneered. "You forget Eleazar and I worked together for many years. When I sensed him fleeing in the same direction as the two of you, I assumed you were up to something. At the last moment, we broke away and found these two. We knew there was a way to trick your sight," he snarled at me, a snug look crossing his features. "The Volturi knows all."

Suddenly, Kate's shaky hand burst out and grabbed Demetri's ankle. He shuddered violently, falling to the ground in a heap of twitching flesh as her electrocuting power pulsed through him. She didn't let go.

"Did you see that, you Volturi fuck? Huh?" she gasped, face still buried in her hair. She was on the edge of hysterics.

Demetri's body only twitched convulsively. His entourage, shocked into silence up to this point, seemed to get their bearings back and began stirring. Emmett was already on them, knocking the other three down like bowling pins. Eleazar jumped to his feet and onto one of the fallen, viciously tearing and ripping at him as he screamed and flailed beneath Eleazar's trained lethality.

I grinned happily. Even though it didn't start the way I had expected, there would still be no stopping us. In my delight, I almost failed to see one of the downed guards stumble to his feet and face me. In an instant, he sprang forward, slashing out with his hands. Sharp fingernails grazed my skin as I danced away, but they didn't puncture. I narrowed my eyes, issuing a hiss from my throat that would have made even the most ferocious Volturi cower. This one was no different.

"You really shouldn't have done that," I said between my teeth just as Emmett stepped forward and locked the confused vampire's arms tightly behind his back. In a rush I ran toward them, placing one foot on the center of his chest for added leverage, took his head between my hands, and snapped his head from his neck. It came free from my grip and rolled to a stop next to Eleazar's leg just as he was finishing demolishing his captive.

Then, my eyes were back on Kate who still had a hold of Demetri's leg, but seemed to have used up every bit of her energy. Her body was as limp as the one at my feet and Demetri was starting to come to.

"Hurry, Emmett," I said pointing at Demetri as he staggered to find his footing.

And Emmett was on him, growling and punching him until he no longer resembled a man so much as oatmeal. It was completely unpleasant, but Emmett was all smiles as he stepped away. Eleazar clapped him on the back, then ran off for the briefest moments to find a deer to restore Kate.

Kate sat up exhaustedly, a small smile on her face as she looked at what was left of the would-be assassins. Now, it was plain to see what happened to cause her screaming earlier. A huge gaping wound stretched across her chest. The flesh was ripped away sickeningly, but I could see it slowly stitching itself back together as the deer's life force spread through her body.

She winced in pain, just as Emmett dropped a match on the towering pile of vampire parts, to ensure the goons wouldn't bother anyone ever again. The heat expanded outward until it became too uncomfortable on our skin and we left it to burn.

It was at that moment I could find Bella no more. I searched and searched for her future and it was black. Anything that involved her or even Edward had totally disappeared. I pressed harder, searching for everyone in my family. They were gone, too. This didn't make sense. Something was blocking me from seeing what was happening. It left all our futures in the balance.

We had taken care of our part, but I could do nothing more than wait. At least, I didn't have to do it alone. While Emmett and Eleazar made their way carefully through the terrain of the Rockies with Kate propped between them, I reached for my phone. At least now I could have Jasper. There was nothing left to hide from Edward. He felt everything I knew he would from the beginning and nothing could change it. Now I could see my Jasper.

I dialed, but his phone rang and rang and finally his voice mail picked up. "Hi," I said, wondering why he hadn't picked up the phone immediately. "I know I have a lot to explain and I will. Right now we're in Northern Colorado and heading north again. Please call me. I love you."

That damn uneasy feeling was back in the pit of my stomach. I didn't bother calling Edward, knowing I'd get the same result and the seed of panic began to grow. Not being able to _see_ made everything so much more ominous and terrifying.

I followed the others silently, trying my hardest to catch any glimpse, but I kept my phone firmly in my hand and willed it to ring. Call me, Jasper, I repeated over and over again. I wasn't sure if I could handle not knowing if the damn thing would ever ring again.

EPOV

"So, what should we do?" I finally asked, feeling myself rise away from my own self-pity and focus on the threat at hand. "No one will tell us what's going on, except Rosalie, who doesn't know anything to begin with. What should we do?"

Jasper looked at me a long time before raising his shoulders in a defeated shrug. "If Alice doesn't want us to know, then I doubt we'll be able to figure it out."

"She is cunning," I agreed, "but not any more than we are. And she tends to be impulsive. You and I are calculating. We just need to think. What would Alice be trying to shield us from?"

But as soon as I said that word, we both knew and a look of comprehension passed between us.

"Let's go!" Jasper said rising to his feet.

I was on mine and together we ran from the house, purpose spurring us. Everything seemed so clear now. Bella. It had always been about Bella. For me, it would always be about her. Something was wrong and it had everything to do with why I was so miserable, but I'll be damned – as if I weren't all ready – if I let anything happen to her! Whether or not she wants me, I will be there to protect her. I won't look in her eyes and see the pity, but I will be there.


	15. The Fall of an Empire

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 15 The Fall **

After I told Felix I would not run, he left me. It was the right thing for him to do, so I couldn't begrudge it, but I felt desperately alone. I couldn't sink away like I did immediately following my departure from Greenland. There was so little time left and I had to spend every second thinking on why I was about to be blinked out of existence. The Cullens. More specifically, Edward Cullen, but I was trying to protect them for his sake. Aro seemed to know more than he should about what lies had been told, but I would never betray them, no matter the cost. My act of betrayal had already been played and there would never be another.

I breathed as deeply as my empty lungs would allow – not enough, never enough – and still, it was worth it. Even if it didn't end the way it could have, at least I'd go knowing Edward was still alive somewhere, he was with his family, and I had done absolutely everything in my power to save them. It was the most comfort I could have in my final hours. From unknown distances, the Cullens were still a source of relief as well as sorrow.

When Felix returned, I felt selfish for being happy to see him. The sad smile that spread my lips was genuine. It would have been so much simpler to love him. I sighed heavily. Felix raised a finger to his mouth to quiet me, though I didn't think I had been loud. He cocked his head to the side, listening as a pair of footsteps retreated down the hallway outside. He seemed assured it was safe and reached into his pocket, pulling a thin black cell phone from his pocket.

I raised an eyebrow in question and Felix answered immediately in a very hushed tone. "Carlisle."

Carlisle? What the...?

I placed the phone to my ear. He must have heard me take a shaky breath, because Carlisle started talking immediately.

"Have you gone completely insane, Isabella?" He shouted in an unfamiliar panicked voice. "What were you thinking? They want to kill you!"

I shook my head in disbelief, though he wouldn't see the gesture. I was still in open shock. Felix looked solemn, but retreated to the door to give me some semblance of privacy.

"They want to kill _you_," I managed to whisper back.

"Bella," he sighed, backing off immediately as if I had chastised his emotional outburst.

"It really is good to talk to you again," I tried a fake pleasantry before asking the question I was dreading to ask. "Are you with the others?"

It was Carlisle's turn to sigh. "No. We have temporarily separated. Demetri is tracking us already." There was definite sadness to his tone and it made me feel ashamed all over again.

I didn't ask the next question that danced at the front of my mind and decided on another. "How is it I'm talking to you?" I raised my eyes back to Felix who only shrugged and tried to look like he was ignoring me.

"Felix," Carlisle confirmed my suspicions. "He contacted me a few days ago. He's worried about you." Felix glanced at me as Carlisle spoke and for a second, I saw the anguish on his face before it was wiped clean.

"He's not the only one," Carlisle added. "Alice already had me on my way to Italy when he called. It just simplifies things with Felix involved."

I forced a laugh. "Then you know exactly what's happening. No need to worry." I sounded all wrong.

He sighed again. "Isabella, you have to stay alive." Carlisle's voice had a soft intensity. "You have more to think of than yourself now."

I hissed because I didn't know how to respond to that.

"Stop fighting yourself and _live_, goddammit. You have to live because now you know. After centuries, you know what love is. There's more at stake than just your life. Think about it. Think hard." Felix looked pained, as he undoubtedly listened to Carlisle's intensity.

Then, he finished simply. "Please."

Felix had taken two giant strides forward and knelt before me, looking directly into my eyes. "I can get away."

"Listen to him," Carlisle urged from the phone. "We have a plan."

That stopped me short. "_We_ nothing, Carlisle," I snarled into the phone. "_We_ aren't doing anything. I am going to take punishment for what I've done wrong."

"But you haven't done anything wrong," they echoed together.

"You have no idea," I said gravely, my mind slipping back to a naked, vulnerable Edward.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You thought it was the best thing to do. It wasn't. Let's move on." Carlisle was still trying to reason, but Felix pulled back again, looking angry then resigned in turn.

Finally, I simply said, "No, Carlisle."

Everything was incredibly silent for a long moment. "Please, Bella. _Fight them_. You have the power to destroy them."

I was ready to shout at him, to tell him I didn't want to fight anymore. I had already thrown away everything that might save me, but before I could open my mouth, the phone went dead and I realized he'd hung up. He begged me to fight, but how could I? Was I strong enough? Did I even want to live anyway?

I looked at Felix, brooding silently by the door and didn't have an answer. Instead of seeing Felix, I saw Edward standing in the room and I remembered the fire of his kiss – our passion when we were together.

"I have to take you, Bella," he said softly. A smile touched the corners of my mouth, before I realized it wasn't Edward's velvety smooth voice propositioning me. It was Felix again, trying to lead me to my death. If only it weren't so ironic.

As calmly as I could, I stood up and walked to him. I placed a kiss on his cheek before he caught my arms and pressed me into his massive body. "I want you to fight, too," he said. "I know it's not the same from me, but we can try. I am with you a hundred percent. I know you can fight. Please. Giving up isn't in you. Why roll over and die now? Here, drink this."

He grabbed a silver flask from inside his robes, pressing it against my chest. I unscrewed the lid cautiously and the aroma hit me hard. I knew it was human, probably pilfered from the morning's feast, but I didn't resist. Deep down, I knew it would make me stronger that it would be harder to take me down, but I drank deeply regardless, finishing every drop of the liquid life.

I licked my lips and leaned in, kissing him again, this time on the lips. "If you're on my side, Felix, lead me to the throne room."

Felix stared deep and long into my eyes. I'm not sure if he found whatever it was he was looking for. He dropped his gaze and hands at the same time and turned away. I was able to catch his hand just as he opened the door, but he didn't acknowledge it. He didn't shake it away either, and that, at the very least, was something.

There were so many vampires cramped into the small room that there was literally standing room only. I felt nauseous at the hunger in their eyes as if they'd like nothing more than to eat my cold, hard flesh. The Brothers would probably let them if it meant to draw out the pain of execution as their prime torturers were either the one being slated for torturing, or unable to use her gift on me.

I looked at Jane as she sat next to Aro, chatting as animatedly as Alice might have done. I narrowed my eyes and she looked over at me. Her thin pink lips curled into a wicked smile. She was the voice behind this. I wasn't sure how I knew that, but I felt it deep. It was truth. Jane was behind this. I knew she was sending her power at me, but it proved as useless as always. I didn't have to try when it came to Jane.

As soon as I was seated, Aro cleared his throat and stood. The masses were coaxed into silence by his icy glare. Finally he spoke directly to me. "My brothers and I have discussed your situation and have decided you deserve a chance to make things right. You say you were with the Cullens for two weeks and during that time they separated."

Uh oh. I nodded slowly.

"Where, my dear sweet, Isabella? Tell me where they went and you will be spared. Perhaps we may even rescind our previous sentence of stripping your ranks. It is your choice, dear." He looked like he had given me the greatest gift. His eyes twinkled excitedly.

Fuck him, I thought and opened my mouth to say so, but someone else spoke first. I was the first to gasp, followed by Aro as recognition hit us like a semi. The others were slower on the uptake and some probably never understood at all. But, as the man stepped forward, my knees nearly crumbled beneath me.

Without thinking about it, I threw my shield over him, so he would be untouchable from all the Guards' powers. As an afterthought, I threw it over Felix as well. At that moment I realized my decision had been changed. I glanced back and forth between the two men willing to end everything to save me and I had no other choice.

A strange electricity began to hum through my body, making it feel more alive than it ever had. I tightened my shield until it hugged every angle of their bodies like a second skin. Love is a reason to live, I told myself over and over as I watched him step through the crowd. They parted for him, an ominous respect in their eyes.

He stopped in the open space separating me from the Brothers and Jane, walking with a casual confidence that told me he knew my shield surrounded him. His words filled the hushed room.

"There is no need for her to tell you anything. Here I am."

"_Carlisle_," Caius hissed.

Whatever else he had said was lost in the sudden explosion of murmuring in the crowd, but Aro's surprised voice rang out and the room went deathly silent once more. "What a surprise, old friend."

In the same furious tone he'd used with me earlier, he snapped back, "Volterra is no friend of mine."

"So you have come to free your beloved. Just as we knew you would." Aro clapped as if it were all a part of the game.

Felix hissed beside me and Caius turned to him. "Did you not think it was too easy to obtain the right documents to contact him, Felix? Does it surprise you that you were a pawn, too? Now, you can die beside her just as you wish. Both of you can." He sneered at me. "A perfect revenge for our traitor."

As his words sank in, I found myself laughing hysterically, spurred on by their error and the blood coursing through my veins. "You think...Carlisle?" But I couldn't get anything else out and bent down with my hands on my knees, trying to calm my outburst. They thought he was the one I loved. With all their power and might, the Volturi had no clue.

I took a few deep breaths when I was able and looked back at the brothers who were looking at me confusedly.

"Marcus?" Aro demanded.

But Marcus remained quiet, his eyes fixed to mine. I couldn't decipher the expression I saw there and had to look away. Instead, I fixed my glare to Aro. "You are fools."

His eyebrows rose.

I didn't give them time to even blink. I shouted for Felix and Carlisle to drop, hoping Carlisle had told Felix enough. Carlisle was the only one to whom I divulged my secret. He alone knew what I was capable of doing with my ability.

Sure enough, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Felix fall in an instant and I let loose with all my fury. It had been building for an agonizingly long week so it was easy to throw it from my body with a force that surprised even me. It had been so long since I had come close to releasing this kind of raw power. My shield exploded like an atomic bomb, gathering strength as it flew outward. People were thrown into the walls with such a force that the pressure began to crack the ancient walls which had somehow come through Emmett and Edward's attack unscathed.

They wouldn't be so lucky this time, I thought, as I watched the shock wave smack directly into Aro. His eyes widened as he was pushed backward and pinned to the wall next to a completely stunned Jane. The pressure was building and I pushed harder.

Felix and Carlisle were now next to me, having ducked below the whirlwind. I pushed out harder, feeling the room begin to quake around the edges of my shield.

"It's enough," Felix shouted into my ear. "Let's get out before it falls."

"Not enough," I hissed back, completely consumed in my anger. All I could see was red – _fury. _Without releasing any mounting pressure, I walked quickly to Caius and looked him right in his cloudy red eyes.

I dragged a fingernail down the length of his paper thin cheek while he and all of his bodyguards were pinned against the wall unable to move to stop me. "Caius," I whispered leaning in close. I could smell his fear rising. I pushed out again, just so he would know his fear was justified. The tower quaked unstably. It wouldn't be standing much longer, but until I made it fall, there was something I needed to do.

I looked at Caius and realized something that pushed my fury to the breaking point. Despite his terror, he was still smiling. Somewhere in his own demented mind, he was still going to win. I was determined to prove him wrong. With no further thought, I sunk my teeth slowly into his neck and heard the surprise in his breathing. It was quick and his head was gone with a snap.

I spit the leftover Caius bits to the floor and stepped up to Jane. Her eyes were still wide in shock. "What are you doing?" She nearly screamed at me. "I'm your friend!"

"_Fuck you_," I snarled. Friend? What a joke! I clamped my hand around her throat.

She glared, then spit right in my face. I didn't bother wiping it away and punched her. But once wasn't enough, so I hit her again and again, right in her thin little nose until it twisted disgustingly and her head hung limply to the side. She groaned weakly.

"_Isabella_," an insistent voice pleaded from behind me, but I ignored him. Felix was undoubtedly restraining Carlisle from restraining me. He would understand this was something I had to do. It might not be the right thing or even the best thing, but it was something I had to, regardless. Going against the Volturi could only be done all the way. There was no half-assing it.

All or nothing.

So, I twisted her little neck and off Jane's head rolled, landing with a thud at my feet. Her body was still pressed against the wall under my power and the venom slowly dripped from her neck, down her robes and joined Caius' in a pool beneath their bodies. I knew they'd still have to burn, but for now they'd be in too much pain to attempt anything.

I moved on to Aro. He began pleading with me to let him live, to show mercy. I laughed at him before slapping him full on the face. He began sobbing loudly and just for some peace from the incessant noise, I leaned forward. A hand fell on my shoulder and I thought Carlisle had broken free of Felix. The voice that spoke surprised me completely out of my blood lust.

"Stop."

I pulled back and turned to see Marcus standing behind me, the same bored expression on his face he always wore. "This is why I let them believe in Carlisle. Had they known the truth, you wouldn't have been able to do find your revenge." My mouth dropped open, not understanding at all what he meant. "And I wouldn't have been able to find mine." With a look, I moved to the side and Marcus stepped forward, staring Aro down.

"Brother?" Aro choked, as confused as I felt.

Marcus hissed. "You try to be something you are wholly incapable of being, _brother_. If you had any idea what a family meant, I would not be standing before you today." Aro's eyes went from wide to wider as whatever Marcus said clicked in his head.

"Didyme," Aro groaned. I immediately recognized the name of Marcus' long dead mate, though I admittedly didn't know much more about her beside that meager fact. Even speaking her name had seemed taboo.

Marcus nodded and I backed slowly away, sensing the mounting tension that had nothing to do with the pressure I was exuding which was still on the brink of collapsing the entire shaking building.

"Do you realize, brother, how empty my life has been since that night? I never understood how you could look me in the eyes every day since. You've never even attempted an apology."

"How?" Aro whispered. "How did you know?"

Marcus laughed. These emotions were the first I had ever seen from the man and I found it horrifying.

"I felt you slip away that night. Our connection permanently ceased."

Aro's face changed drastically. He was terrified, too. Seeing Marcus enraged was unsettling, even when it wasn't directed at me. I finally reached where Felix and Carlisle stood, the former not even bothering to hold the latter back as they were both transfixed on the brothers. Around the room, other eyes were staring, too, despite the pain of being immobilized by my shield against the stone walls.

Aro was bumbling to say something to soothe Marcus, but it was obvious from his crouched posture there would be no amount of persuasion capable of stopping it. "He killed her, because she fought for you, Isabella," Marcus said suddenly. "Because she didn't want to see you die."

Silence followed his words. All eyes shifted to me.

"You never knew that she told me, did you, Aro? But Didyme never kept secrets from me. She knew how her blood called to you and surmised your plan to allow her to mature before taking it.

"When she didn't return home that night, I went to your cell," he continued, addressing me in a softer voice than the one he used with Aro. "Aro was killing you and I knew my Didyme would never allow it to happen."

He snarled viciously. "That's when I knew, dear _brother_. When I saw you on the floor, draining the girl, I felt nothing for you and knew you had killed my love.

"That's when I took you, Isabella. I was the one that protected you, even though I knew she had never wanted you changed at all." His thin arm shot out and grabbed a surprised Aro by his throat. Marcus' muscles tensed as he clenched tightly. Then, he turned around, and looked at me again.

What I saw surprised me more than any of his words had. The clouded red eyes I had known of all the brothers were no longer covered in film. A storm raged inside their depths as he let out his feeling kept hidden from every one for nearly 300 years. He stared at me intently.

"You see, Bella, my wife was also gifted. She knew you were destined for greatness, but Aro harvested you for dinner despite Didyme's warnings. And he has regretted that every day since, haven't you, brother?" Aro trembled beneath my power as he stared into Marcus's eyes.

He sputtered, but Marcus smiled like he could see the disbelief on my face. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who can attest that you don't see yourself clearly, my dear. Your problem is you try to be everything Aro had told you to be. He has promised you many great things and you've tried to please him for your entire existence, but the blame is also mine to bear. You were mine before you became his, Isabella. While you screamed and his venom changed you, I comforted, but I was so bitter." He looked like he was admitting a horrible sin. "I begged you not to trust while your heart slowed and your flesh hardened. And it was me you would not trust."

Despite my earlier fear, I stepped forward and placed a soothing hand on Marcus. "You should have told me."

He smiled sadly. "You were gone from me the second he realized your power." Marcus paused and threw me a wink. "Not that he really understood, did he?" He was gesturing around the room, proudly showing off what I could do. "I was unfortunately caught unaware by you long ago, Isabella, before you had even fully changed and I would never let you catch me off guard again." As if to prove his point he dusted the front of his robes where he ducked away from the edge of my shield.

"You bastard!" Aro croaked under Marcus' grip.

"There's a problem," Marcus went on, ignoring Aro completely knowing he wasn't going anywhere. "He is still my brother though I despise him with every ounce that I am."

Understanding immediately, I smiled sweetly, first, genuinely for Marcus, then with added venom for Aro. His eyes bugged from their sockets.

"You wouldn't?" he breathed. It was a question because he could already see in my eyes that yes, I would.

I stalked forward. "Too bad you never finished the job," I whispered, then let my teeth pull through the thin skin, severing his head in one swift movement. His venom flooded from the wound, over my hands, and down my clothing. Then, Aro's head groaned in my hands and I threw it against the wall, wondering if I really could throw up.

Marcus was still next to me. "Thank you," he said and I had no doubt he meant it completely. "Now, you must go." When I looked at him questioningly, he went on. "No one, except you, is innocent today, Isabella. Everyone here is every bit as guilty as my cavorting brothers. Now get out. This tower's going to burn!"

With a swift movement, Marcus brought a lighter from his pocket and it was lit in an instant, the orange flame dancing lightly in the air. Two sets of strong arms pulled me backward.

"What about you?" I shouted at Marcus, ignoring the slightly wild glint that had taken over his eyes.

He sighed, a sound I could barely hear as Felix and Carlisle dragged me to the exit. "I have only lived this long to ensure Volterra's end. Now, it's done and I will have peace. Now _go_."

I watched in disbelief when Marcus bent down, setting fire to the robes on Jane's small pinned body. As the flames caught and began to grow, I could see it twitch in pain. Her body felt as the flames rose higher and stronger. They easily caught other vampires and the ancient furniture and in seconds, the entire room was ablaze. We lingered at the very edge of the hallway. I held my shield until the last possible moment, through the screaming and shrieking echoing toward me, and I caught a final glimpse of Marcus in some sort of war dance, the flames licking his own robes. I'm pretty sure he was smiling.

With that demented last look, I let myself be pulled around the final bend and released my shield with a resounding crack. The screaming followed as we raced furiously through the maze of corridors to get to the exit closest to the walls of Volterra and our freedom. The tower groaned unstably around us. As the screaming lessened, the smell of burning vampires flooded the entire tower, nearly knocking us all senseless, but somehow, we made it outside the ancient structure. The moment the fresh air hit me, I snapped my shield at the tower one last time. It would be enough to cause it to fall. Then, we turned and ran for the walls as fast as we could, staying in the shadows more out of habit than being necessary to avoid the eyes of humans. At this point, we only needed to get away from the falling tower.

Within minutes we were on top of the high walls and I hesitated. Together, we turned around and looked back at a thick purple smoke settling into the streets of Volterra. Ignoring the rank scent, I stared at the place I spent my life torturing and killing, only because it was all I knew. Now, I knew I was made a vampire because Aro's dinner plans had gone wrong. He didn't even know the extent of my power. I wondered about that hazy past I hadn't even been aware of before today and was glad human memories were so fleeting and a vampire's so easily distracted.

Just then, a loud rumble shook the ground beneath Volterra and the tower, the beacon of the Volturi, collapsed in a plume of ash and dust. I sighed heavily, but felt more alive than I ever had before. My past had just fallen at my feet. Alice's premonitions had been dead on. The Volturi was no more. This was my empire now. The electricity in my body surged from every pore, causing my hair to undulate and blow around me in the calm night. Flames shot up from the rubble of the collapsed tower, reaching higher and higher as if in salute and Alice's words echoed in my mind, _"It will be your empire soon enough."_

Then, I heard a gasp, more familiar to me than my own voice and I spun around quickly to see him standing next to Carlisle, looking directly into my eyes.


	16. The Wives

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter 16 The Wives**

When I turned around, his eyes were all over me, gaping at the energy that rolled from me in waves. It blew my hair and robes around my body with a power emanating from inside my own body. Pain and disbelief fought for dominance in his eyes and I forced myself to look away. I wasn't ready for that with the wounds of the past hour still fresh in my mind.

"Felix," I said hurriedly. "Take care of this for me." I gestured to the multitudes who were gathering beneath Volterra's walls, cheering for, what I felt, deserved no applause. I didn't want to be congratulated for killing off almost an entire city of vampires. Sure, most of them had been tyrannical monsters, but they had raised me, showered me with gifts, and given me everything I ever desired until now. Good or bad, I still felt uneasy how thoroughly I had let my anger take control.

Without waiting for his reply, I jumped down and ran. My energy was still surging and the anger was only barely contained. I had spent too much time dwelling in my own misery that when I let anything else through, it became difficult to reign back in. The harder and faster I ran, the more fury built inside of me. I was angry. Furious at everyone and everything. My entire existence had been a series of well told lies, meant only to hurt. I wasn't even sure who I was anymore.

I thought back on my early years here in Volterra. I had even known the woman Didyme, but, now, a face swam too clear in my memory. She was a tall and slender woman with limbs as thin as rope. With jet black hair and bright teeth smiling between her lips, I could barely conjure the memory of the woman that had sacrificed her life for mine, a poor and weak human. I probably would never remember anything else at all and it made me feel like I was doing her memory, her last act, a great disservice.

It only served to shame me more. To top it all off, _he _had been there to bear witness to my atrocities, to see those people worship me like I had done something just. What kind of justice would so ruthlessly rip apart an entire ideology? Now, I would have to serve my sentence restoring some sort of replacement for the whole damned empire. It really just made me feel even more attached to this god-forsaken place. That thought made me shudder. Never in m life had I felt more like running away. But I couldn't. There was too much depending on me as it was, and I knew I had to go back. If not for the ruin I had left behind, but for the one thing I dreamed of during those long days waiting execution.

Maybe I wouldn't be able to change anything, but I could try.

Decision made, I turned back toward the city and took down the first animal that I crossed, not because I was thirsty, but because I was stalling. I wanted to face Edward, to do whatever it would take to show him how irrevocably in love with him I truly was. I just needed a bit more time to myself. I felt like I should allow that, knowing that now I _would_ see him again.

That's when I smelled the foul odor on the air. My eyes snapped skyward to see a thick column of purplish black smoke billowing from the direction of Volterra. But that wasn't right. The fires should be nearly out by now. The sun had made its way across the sky. Hours had passed.

My stomach clenched uncomfortably. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.

I was off in a flash, speeding toward the city. The stench became thicker and harder to ignore the closer I came. It was difficult not to stop when the cloud of burned humans and vampires hugged the earth, blinding even my unnaturally keen eyesight, but I pushed myself onward. It swirled all around me, driven by the invisible force of the winds the fires were creating. The air was sickeningly hot, but I slowed my pace only slightly. Inside the plume of smoke was enclosed in an eerie silence. I couldn't hear anything as if I had been suddenly struck deaf. My eyes were everywhere at once, looking for anything out of place. It was impossible. _Everything_ felt out of place.

Panic crept over me as not only couldn't I see anything, but I couldn't smell anything outside the smoke, either. It was slightly disorientating and I couldn't locate any of the Cullens or Felix with my senses so dulled. Venom pulsed through my body along with the blood I'd ingested today, human and animal alike. I still felt abnormally strong, but uneasy nonetheless.

From the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Black against gray and gone just as fast. I whirled my entire body in the direction of the shadow, but there was nothing there. The hair began to rise on the back of my neck and I spun around wildly, feeling the eyes on me, not knowing where they were located. I wanted to call out, but understood how pointless it was. Instinctively, I knew I was already surrounded.

I flexed my shield, throwing it out a bit from my body. Maybe that way I'd see whatever was coming. Then, as if in a defiance I barely felt, I stood still and waited for them. Whoever it was had probably already taken the others. I refused to think it could be the Cullens' flesh among the stale aroma clinging to the air after all I had done to prevent it.

No, I decided. I wouldn't even let myself think it. My mind was already dissecting every bit of information I ever learned, trying to piece this together. The more I knew about the enemy, the better my chances. It looked like this time I'd be completely on my own. So, who? Who could have done this?

Another shadow, but I didn't even blink. It was right there on the tip of my thoughts. The answer...

At that moment, a low rolling fog struck my shield about five feet from where I stood. Other points flexed a little, absorbing different powers being flung at me, but I ignored them all. Laughing somewhat maniacally, I let a smile stretch across my face.

"Oh, Alec!" I called out playfully. "Come out, come out, where ever you are!"

My words hung in the air like bait. They were both playful and venomous at the same time but there was no answer. The silence thickened around me, almost solidifying the pressure building in my ears. I was stronger than Alec. There was no way I was backing off.

"Where are you?" I called out again, this time taking a slow turn to look everywhere at once. I continued in a softer, more menacing voice. "Don't be a little bitch. If you have something to say to me, say it."

This time, I pounced on the shadow as it passed in my peripheral. It wasn't Alec, but another of the Guards who I vaguely recognized. He leered at me, which only served to spark my anger again.

"Where is he?" I growled. I meant everybody, anybody. I just needed some response.

Another roll of smoke smashed into my shield as I held the snarling guardsman at bay. It was all the information I needed. Without hesitation, I flew away from him into the smoke, blindly running at the invisible target.

I was fast and slammed into Alec's surprised body with all my force. My hand clenched down on his neck. In my burst of anger, I scarcely looked at him until a trembling began beneath my fingers. Slowly, my eyes focused enough to actually see his face and pity washed through me. He looked small, even under my own slender arm and the terror and hurt in his eyes was clear.

"Why, Bella?" He choked out. "Why Jane?" A moan escaped him, but it sounded strangled because I hadn't lessened my grip at all.

Alec had the ability to completely stun everyone in his path except me, of course. It left them blinded, deafened, and completely vulnerable to attack. The anger tried to bubble up again, but I held it back for the moment, wanting to approach this with a calm head. Alec was a formidable foe. We had spent many nights in the moonlight centuries ago, pitting our abilities against one another. He always flustered Jane to no end, as he could stop her concentration completely and ultimately win out over her. She could only win their matches by surprise attack. Then, he had been all over the world, using his power to carry out the Volturi's orders. So despite his femininity, he was strong. Once again, I found myself glad to be impervious to his abilities.

"She deserved it," I hissed unable to keep the venom from my voice. "You knew what she was doing." How he could he not? He was her twin, _her_ other half, so to speak.

He trembled again, sobbing and trying to look angry at the same time. It was pitiful, so I went on. He was probably incapable of speech anyway, seeing as how my fingers were locked tightly around his windpipe. I put a bit more pressure for good measure. "Where are the Cullens? Where's Felix?"

Alec's face only went paler and I let my anger slide up again, even feeling other eyes on me. I was falling under again, knowing I was most certainly not impenetrable to physical attack. The urge to destroy everything that could ever remind me of Volterra ripped through me, drowning out everything else and I growled openly, allowing my intention to flash in my fevered eyes.

A pair of clawed hands dug into my back. I swatted at the annoyance but kept my grip tight on Alec's throat.

"You knew what she was, Alec," I hissed. "It could have just as easily been you."

His eyes were dark and panicking and something else. He looked on the verge of passing out.

"Last chance. Tell me where they are," I snarled, even as more than one set of arms pulled at my body trying to free me from Alec's throat. Teeth sliced into me, but I pushed it all away, holding his gaze. "We can still be friends, Alec. I don't want to kill you."

The burning raged as the venom pumped into me, but it wasn't stronger than my own fury and I finally saw him break. First, his eyes softened, then his mouth open slightly. I withdrew most of my grasp on him, while maintaining hold as my body was thrown about by his entourage. I just pulled Alec along with me.

His voice was weak from the crushed throat, but I heard his answer distinctly. "Gone."

"Gone? Gone where?" Did he mean they ran, or...

But there wasn't the chance for any more answers as I was suddenly thrown hard into a tree, finally severing my grip on him. As I sank to the ground, I took the time to notice the others for the first time. There were five all together, including Alec. My body burned hotter than ever, but it only added to my anger. I landed and sprang immediately into a low crouch, eying each for a long, exaggerated moment. The feral growls burst wildly from my chest as the attackers stepped toward me.

With a quick snap, I let loose my shield, slamming against the unsuspecting attackers, clearing the foul smoke, and falling every tree in a half mile radius. They were all pressed haphazardly amongst the crumbled ruins of the city walls.

"Where are they?" I shouted at all of them. Something drew my eyes upward.

I nearly gagged. Felix was hanging from a thick piece of chain looped around his neck. I knew that alone wasn't enough to kill him, but it was hard to ignore the way his legs dangled beneath him. His body was impossibly still.

My eyes searched more frantically for anyone else, but it was Felix alone who dangled in the air. I wanted to shout out to him, but the danger still threatened and it had nothing to do with the five vampires pinned against the boulders.

I didn't have to wait long for my worry to materialize. A voice, soft as silk, but a thousand times deadlier, echoed through the air. "They are gone," it chimed.

I gasped as I saw her, skin white as winter snow, blending flawlessly with her white robes. She glided over the ruined and smoldering city as if it weren't even beneath her. Long silver hair hung listlessly down her back as she floated closer. Impossible! Behind her trailed another woman, of almost identical features, only the other's eyes were completely covered in the milky film that threatened all the ancients' eyes.

"You are surprised?" The first woman mocked. Wickedness gleamed in her eyes. "They do not keep the wives in the tower, or were you too high a security risk to divulge that secret?"

She was trying to play on my fervor to be the best, the top of the chain, but she didn't realize I no longer needed to be those things. My body grew colder as she bore down on me, stopping only when she was inches away. I leaned back instinctively, then cursed myself for showing weakness. The wives were respected and protected above all others, but it was impossible not to want to lash out at those matching evil grins. The one closest to me stared into my eyes, her cloudy ones swirling maliciously. As crazy as I felt, she _looked_ it. They both did.

Again, I was in control of myself, calculating how to deal with this. I really knew nothing about either of the wives. They were so secret it was like they were nothing more than legends, complete unknowns. It was impossible to know the best way to deal with them. They were infinitely older than the brothers and Didyme had been their sister. Apart from that, I was at a loss and a little intimidated.

Then, Sulpicia leaned forward, breathing in my face a breath that smelled of centuries and decomposition. "You will not be responsible for the death of anything else," she said. Behind her, the blind Athenodora was snickering.

Immediately, my whole body felt limp, like I couldn't move even if I had wanted. I just felt too heavy, but I found my voice was clear as I snapped back, "They are responsible for their own deaths. They were liars, evil torturers… "

"And you think you are different, that you are above them in some way? Girl, we have spent centuries building the Volturi and you have single handedly killed off the entire coven."

My body slumped further as I began to understand that at least one of the women standing in front of me had her own power. Apparently, I hadn't been concentrating enough to notice until it was too late. It must work somewhat like Jasper's ability against the body, I thought, feeling my muscles relax even further still. I allowed myself to slump forward, landing in a graceless slump at Sulpicia's feet. I tried to force enough energy to at least put up my shield, but I was momentarily feeling much more comfortable than I should and didn't bother.

"First my true sister – once in blood and then in venom – and now the brothers." Athenodora sighed and I sensed genuine sadness, before she was snickering again.

"You fucking little bitch, you _will_ pay," Sulpicia hissed.

"Aro killed your sister," I said the first thing that came to my mouth, but judging by their reaction, neither agreed in the slightest.

"No, it was always you. A lot of fuss for a human, but nothing I said cured the fascination with you." Aro's mate seemed to be musing to herself, a trait she shared with the deceased man. "Even afterward, I couldn't understand." She paused, bending over me. "You destroyed them, the fools! But not us. No, we are much too smart for the _infamous_ Isabella."

Her breath hung around my face, but I felt like I couldn't stop myself from continuing to inhale the putrid stench. I was simply too tired to try not to, despite the way the venom surged through me, urging me to do something. She was too close now and I was too vulnerable and there was nothing I could do, but talk.

"Fuck off," I sneered. "I don't want to play your games."

I was vaguely aware of Alec and his own personal set of goons circling around us, but no longer cared. The power from the wives stripped me of all desire. After that I just laid there, deciding I didn't really want to talk anymore, either.

The next thing I was aware of was a high pitched shriek pulling me from the blissful laze that I had fallen into. It echoed sharply in my ears, bringing me back to reality with a sickening jolt. I even felt a bit woozy, but whatever had held me before had weakened significantly. After a second of deep breathing, enjoying that it didn't taste of rotting flesh, I stood up.

My mouth dropped wide. Athenodora lay sprawled across the ground, a pool of black venom forming beneath her still body, thick like coagulating blood. That was just the beginning of the madness. A battle raged all around me. Familiar faces from Volterra fought against Alec and his partners. It seemed like thousands, because everyone moved so incredibly fast, but it might have only been a dozen. I remembered that the wives had their own brigade of security guards. But there seemed to be an increasing number of dark robes pushing against the others. Many had escaped the horror of earlier and didn't seem too pleased at the way things had gone. My fault, my head buzzed dizzily. Finally, though I barely felt I had regained the strength, I draped my shield back around my body and continued to search the insanity around me.

After a moment, I gave up entirely trying to discern who was on which side. I wondered if Sulpicia was out there fighting and how long loyalties would last with the Brothers gone. Noting Athenodora's condition and seeing she wouldn't be moving any time soon, I knew what I had to do. Faster than I dreamed capable, I charged through the battle and up the building where Felix hung, still utterly lifeless through the entire ordeal. I raced to him, because he deserved that. He deserved much more, but that was what I could give, so I gave it everything I had.

Easily reaching his body, I wrapped my arms around his waist to pull him back to the roof. The chain only tightened on his neck, but I couldn't get him close enough. If I tried to break the chain, the weight of Felix's body would undoubtedly drag me over as he fell to the cobbled streets below. I tugged uselessly at his robes, willing him into my arms, but it was useless. I was useless.

"I'll hold him," a velvet voice cut into my silent tantrum.

I looked over, twisting my neck awkwardly to find myself plunging into the depths of molten topaz. My mind instantly went fuzzy, like little bursts of light were flashing all around his face and my entire body relaxed. I had to fight the desire to lean into him and remain focused on the matter at hand.

"I'll hold him," he repeated, gently grabbing Felix's waist. "You get the chain."

It finally clicked, and I stood up, grasping at the heavy chain with both hands. Each link was nearly the same size as my wrist, but it wasn't difficult, especially considering the amount of energy I had today. Thank God for the extra meals. I pulled one of the links and it immediately released Felix in a sudden movement. Edward easily brought him onto the roof, lying him on his side, and began to pull at the series of complicated locks which bound him still. I touched his face softly, weeping tearlessly.

"All my fault," I whispered at Felix's ear, but I meant it for both of them.

Around us, the fighting continued, feral snarls and screams of terror echoing around my destroyed city – no, that's not right – the city_ I _destroyed. It was a desperate battle between the lies of our past and the hopes of our future, but all I could see was Felix, even with Edward right next to me. I never wanted any one to die for me, certainly not any one I loved.

"Wake up," I urged. "Felix, wake up!"

"There aren't any wounds," Edward said as the last of the chains finally slid off his neck. "He's most likely in a state similar to the one you were in."

I finally looked up at him, meeting his eyes again, but refusing to lose myself in them. He wanted to return to the chaos below. I could feel him fighting the desire to go. Something kept him here though, and I couldn't tell what it was. Ultimately, I knew he was right. Felix was unharmed and we were both needed in the frenzy below.

I brushed a light kiss across Felix's forehead, just as he had done to me only hours before. "I'll be back," I promised, then stood and faced Edward. I had to totally disregard that strange pull toward his body, so I planted my feet firmly for a moment. There wasn't much time, but, "What happened?" I asked.

Edward shook his head. Bits of ash fell from the soot covered hair and onto his shoulders. "We were watching you leave and Jasper called Alice. As soon as you were out of sight, she had a vision." He looked back at Felix. "He refused to leave."

"For me." I hadn't meant to direct it at Edward or even speak it aloud. Felix stayed because I asked him to handle it while I went on an emotion binge over seeing Edward.

"A man in love will do foolish things, Bella," he said almost too quiet to hear above the ruckus from below.

For an instant, a million other questions whirled through my mind, but I knew everything would have to wait. This was my fault and I had to see it through to the end. I reached out and grabbed Edward's unsolicited hand. Gratefully, he returned the pressure to assure me my action was alright and together we jumped back into the midst of the battle.

On the ground, I only had one thought. Sulpicia must be killed. I wasn't even sure if she was still out there fighting, but I made it my mission to make sure she was taken out. I wove in and out of other fights, keeping my eyes searching.

It wasn't until he actually pulled on it swiftly, yanking me out of the way of an oncoming guardsmen that I realized Edward still held onto my hand. I thanked him with my eyes, too stunned to say anything and pressed forward again. The connection between our entwined fingers had felt so natural that I had forgotten it completely. Now, I was all too aware. I could feel his every movement as we slid tandem through the battleground. He was so close to me that I felt his breath against my neck. He took short, quick breaths and it warmed my skin as he, sending shivers up my spine. Everything else slipped into the background, as I momentarily forgot my self-imposed mission and imagined it was just the two of us. In the middle of all this bloodshed, I let reality slip away.

"Bella," his voice broke my fantasy. I didn't turn, but could have sworn I heard the smile there as if for that instant he could read my mind.

Then, there was no other thought other than the ancient white vampire who appeared half a dozen steps from us. A low hiss escaped my lips as I watched her lull more victims into lifeless puddles at her feet. The dark stains on her robes attested that she could also fight, though with the frailness of her body, I might have thought otherwise.

Edward went still behind me. Carlisle was among the ten or so other vampires locked completely at Sulpecia's mercy. His golden hair was impossible to mistake. So low that no one else could possibly hear, I whispered, "We have to split up."

Edward tightened his grip on my hand and I knew he was as uncomfortable with that idea as I was, but there was no other option. One of us had to serve as a distraction.

As if answering my internal argument, Jasper walked out of nowhere and straight toward Aro's widowed mate. I expected him to say something, but with a glowering look, he remained silent and the last wife looked at him smugly. That's when I felt Jasper using his own ability to try and fight against her. A wave of misery hit me and I watched as Sulpecia's face fell under its strain. But she fought against it and Jasper wavered a bit as she turned her own power on him. It was like watching a body being shut off one muscle at a time and I knew Jasper couldn't fight against it for long. But he had provided the distraction we needed.

Sensing the time to attack, Edward leaned in so close I could feel the planes of his chest flush against my back. "Use your shield as soon as Jasper falls," he whispered and was gone from my side before I even had the chance to wonder how he knew so much about my gift.

Japer fell to his knees. I straightened my body and stepped forward, deliberately being louder than necessary to cause Sulpecia to turn toward me. I locked eyes with her before letting my shield snap outward with the last bit of power I could muster. She was caught off guard and only had the chance to open her furious mouth before Edward was on her. In an act almost inately sexual, he tore her head away from her neck with a single bite.

Sulpecia's decapitated body fell to the ground as my shield snapped back and my strength finally gave out. I fell to the ground with a huff and took a satisfied look at the incapacitated vampires piled around me. Slowly, each began to move as Sulpecia's ability faded from their bodies and I knew we had done it. A second later, Edward was kneeling at my side. Once again I found myself staring into his swirling eyes and allowed myself to do only that.

"Are you alright?" he asked from a million miles away, but I was too lost in those intense molten pools. His laugh, sweeter than honey, barely penetrated my conscious mind and his fingertips reached upward, touching my face tentatively.

I never saw his hand move, too lost in the eyes to notice anything else happening around me, but somehow I knew. The electricity of desire suddenly surged through me radiating from my cheek. My body responded in a way it only did for his touch. I groaned softly and ran my tongue over my bottom lip.

My vision was only beginning to clear from the saturation of his touch when his lips crashed into mine. As completely reckless and silly as it seemed, I kissed him back even as the fighting petered out around us. We both lost and found ourselves in each other's embrace. I knew I had so much to answer for as far as Edward was concerned, but tonight, amidst the high of victory and venom, there were no need for explanations. Tonight, there was only us.


	17. Circles

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Music and chapter title inspired by Hollywood Undead. **

**Chapter 17 Circles**

EPOV

I am a complete moron. Brazenly masochistic. Beyond idiotic. The epitome of stupid.

That's me. Call me Stupid.

My lips moved away from hers and reality slapped my senses. I'd completely forgotten the entire world outside of Bella for the most glorious minutes of my life. In her embrace, I stupidly thought I had her, that she was _mine_.

Honestly, what the hell was my problem? I let my eyes refresh the scene around us. The fighting had visibly lessened and a low smoke was rolling across the battlefield, carrying with it the dead scent of the hundreds of souls lost today. That in itself was staggering, but what was I doing, thrusting myself into the arms of a woman who wanted nothing to do with me?

I looked around pointedly, forcing myself to see exactly what it was that she preferred over me. Volterra was a ruin. Everything was decimated. Ash rained on the battlefield, attempting in vain to cover the massacre. Nervously, I leaned away. _She _had done this. It only showed me more the woman I had inadvertently given my heart.

And I found I still couldn't care. No matter how many people Bella slaughtered, no matter what vile or twisted means she used to do it, she had my heart. It belonged to her without question. I couldn't take it back even if I had wanted. Was I really any worse? Had I not killed hundreds of men during my own meaningless existence? Even if her acts today _had_ been completely unjustifiable, there was no god-complex lurking below her motives. She didn't want to rule any one's life. She only wanted to _live_.

Deep down, I understood that Bella was as unsure of herself as she was confident. I understood she was confused. She left my family in Greenland because she thought she was being noble. I understood that. She reacted so harshly after our intimacy, not because it was something she hadn't wanted, but because that want was significantly less than what she truly desired. She hadn't meant to really tear me apart the way she did. She just wasn't impossibly selfish and selfless at the same time. I _understood _that.

Then, why did I find myself at her mercy..._again_? The attraction was obviously there, but it hadn't been enough for her. I had to quit being so ridiculously seventeen and accept her just the way I had her. It was the only way I'd ever make it through the rest of eternity. My own hands were becoming the enemy. I had to control these urges to run my fingertips down her ivory skin. I had to stand back, let Bella take from me what she wanted. She could take everything and I knew I'd still come back for more. I'd never be able to let her walk out of my life again. I'd never survive. From now on, I had be steadfast in my resistance. I had to only give what she asked and keep my own miserable desires to myself. Only that would ensure I could keep Bella – no matter how small a part – in my worthless existence.

I stared at her, this seductive temptress of my soul, as her head snapped away, finally breaking our tentative eye contact. I was willing to do whatever it took to keep her in my life. It would be unbearable to go another day without seeing the way her soft hair glows with her inner light, or the way her nose crinkled a bit between her eyebrows as she smelled the putrid air. It's hard to believe how quickly Bella swooped into my life – my family's lives – and changed everything.

Who was I kidding? This amazing, magnificent woman changed the entire world and I was but a humble slave to her heart.

Jasper was heading toward us. I was pulled from my own thoughts, surprised that my brother was so calm as he raced to us. I had half-expected him to go mad with the carnage in the air. It had even affected me. It helped that I had an inner store of anger that needed an outlet, but Jasper had felt my every emotion since this whole madness started. If anything, he should be at least feeling a little out of control. I knew I still did.

But, he was thinking about earthquakes and forging the evidence on a seismometer. As cool as ever. Despite my mood, I smiled, and looked toward him.

"Slick," I approved through my grin.

"Well, I figured we needed an excuse. The Volturi spread rumors in Mexico after the wars. Humans readily accept natural disasters as reason enough for destruction."

Jasper suddenly smiled wider and looked past me at Bella who was listening to our conversation with an amused look.

"What's so funny?" he asked her.

"You took a page from the master," she giggled, eyes twinkling brightly.

Both of us were dumbfounded for an instant, before Jasper and I laughed appreciatively. "That was yours?" he asked between chuckles. God, she _was _amazing.

Naturally, Jasper cocked an eyebrow at me, but didn't mention my sudden lust. His cell phone started ringing in his pocket.

He pulled it out, groaning loudly. "Alice."

I heard an irate and thoroughly pissed Alice from the other line and turned away. He would have to explain this on his own. I would have come on my own to Italy. I wasn't the one that had to ask permission from the annoyingly verbal pixie. I wasn't married to her and thank God for that. I could still her shouting as I walked over to Carlisle sitting in the grass looking quite dazed.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

He grimaced. "It's been three hundred years since I took a nap. It wasn't really as refreshing as I hoped."

With a laugh, I stretched my arm out. My father graciously took hold and I helped him to his feet. Bella was on the other side of him, still grinning.

"I know how you feel."

They smiled at each other and I was almost surprised that I wasn't jealous like I had been when Bella first came into our lives. The look they shared was as beautiful and pure as they were. Carlisle released his hold on me and wrapped his arms around Bella's shoulders. Her arms slowly circled his waist and they stood, embracing what was left of their connected past.

Carlisle's thoughts swirled with all his memories of her, both old and new. It was polished with his own unique blend of compassion and love that only he is capable of feeling. It is too personal a moment and I have to turn away from them, even though I never want to look at anything besides Bella forever. I owe Carlisle too much not to grant him the discretion of privacy.

Jasper was pacing back and forth, apologizing in the midst of the continuous chastisement still spewing from Alice. Man, she was pissed and sounded like Emmett was, too. He was disappointed he missed this. Jasper growled in frustration and thrust the phone at me. His eyes were expectant. Like this was my fault.

Ah hell. I took the phone and broke right into the middle of Alice's ranting. "I didn't make him come." Jasper's eyes widened in horror at my words, but I refused to acknowledge him. I'm not going to get in the middle of it.

"Don't give me that, Edward Cullen," she hissed into my ear. "Like Jasper would leave you alone when you were a complete emotional basket case." I was loathe to admit I still was, but Alice was going on without waiting for a response. "It's almost over, by the way, but don't you understand how completely distraught I was? I couldn't see anything. Right after Demetri, everything went black and…"

"_Demetri_?" Jasper roared into the phone, calling Alice out for hiding her own secrets. I couldn't help but smile as she went silent on the line.

"About that," she started slowly, fumbling for her words, "well...I didn't _not _want to tell you. I just couldn't have Edward seeing anything. You can imagine what that would have been like." Jasper smirked, understanding that more than I liked, but Alice kept talking. "I saw her destroying the Volturi, not _this_!"

"You've gotten your visions back?" he questioned her when she paused for effect.

"Of course. There are still things that are hazy, but for the most part I can see what's left of Volterra. I just don't know how it got like that. Oh and Maggie will be fine, but they'll leave before we arrive, so tell them hello from us. Esme says she'll send the book soon. And I see Bella's okay. Tell her Felix is just getting the courage to face her again. I have a feeling we are going to get to know him a lot better."

When her pet name for him, I knew Jasper was all but forgiven and I stepped away. I'd get the rundown when she got here. My eyes gravitated back to Bella who was conversing in low tones with Carlisle. They were both strangely solemn, but I didn't want to intrude. In a way, every one lost something today. Vampires in general, but they had a more specific loss.

Volterra was a home, a sanctuary despite the fiendish tendencies of its ruling party. The loyalty to this place – something I'd witnessed in more than one mind today – was inspiring. I'd never felt at home anywhere in this world, but the unexplainable draw to this place affected me and I couldn't help but be touched by the mess we'd made.

I was drawn inside the walls by a force no stronger than blatant curiosity. I'd never been to Italy before. My feet slowly made their way down the debris lined streets. The destruction was incomprehensible and I had been privy to the absolute horrors of two world wars. The human toll was significant. It was pure strategic genius for Jasper to fake an earthquake. There was no other way to explain all this away. Even I, Edward Cullen, who had willingly taken the lives of so many could not wrap my infinite senses around this. It was horrifying to a horrifying monster, but did any of it make me think any less of Bella, knowing much of the internal destruction was the result of her uncontrollable anger?

Not even an ounce.

I was in complete awe of the woman. Complete and total awe.

Then, I realized it wasn't that at all. It was love magnified a hundred times over. Like any proud man in love, she could no wrong in my eyes. I was ashamed that with each step forward I fell more hopelessly in love with her, but at this point I realized it didn't matter. I'd always find an excuse to be near her. She can try to dismissive, but I obviously couldn't take the hint. I had to be with her. I had to be with Bella, whatever it took.

I finally halted in what I vaguely recognized as the Palazzo dei Priori. The clock tower lay shattered in the square. Well, _covering _the square, actually. It was a mess. I remembered how beautiful it was through Carlisle's mind.

"There was a fountain," a voice sung from behind me. I don't think I've ever turned around so fast. I thought I was alone. It was odd that anyone had been able to sneak up on me. Stranger still, was the coy smile that played on her lips and she fidgeted slightly.

_Magnificent_, my mind echoed, void of anything but the image before me.

She moved forward. Toward me. I felt my knees tremble, but I had to play it cool. However she needed me...

"I used to sit here. I guess it's the part of this city that felt most like home to me. Aro always told me it was mine."

I couldn't help but see the sadness in her eyes as she stared at the mess before her. I could see she longed to find that peace here again. I had to reach out, offer a comforting hand, but I couldn't raise it.

"It's strange that I could find that sense of..."

She was struggling, so offered, "Peace? Home?"

She smiled, turning the sparkling gaze to me. She looked over my entire face before settling in my eyes like they were meant to be. It was even harder to hold myself back from her, now. I wanted to touch her so badly. The pull was almost too much.

"Hope?" she questioned her own thought. I wish I could just see what she meant. "But that's not exactly right. I used to come here as an escape from the horrors of the job. It's strange that I ran to my position like there was nothing else in the world, but when I did walk away, I came to my fountain and let everything else disappear from my mind. I wonder why I didn't see it coming earlier? All those years ago, I was trying to escape. I just never wanted to leave. Is that ironic?"

She was so beautiful. I wasn't sure why she was bearing her soul to me, but I didn't want her to stop. Still, I kept my fists clenched at my sides. Better than clenched in her hair... She expected an answer, so I shrugged and offered a smile, instead.

Bella smiled, too. It was genuine, gorgeous, and I wanted to die rather than keep from kissing her. Over and over. I think I was actually shaking from both the tension of trying to restrain my body and the electricity that drew me to her.

Oh my god, did she just lean in?

I sucked in a breath and mimicked the gesture.

"Do you want to know what changed for me?" she asked and I shook my head, not trusting my voice to be steady this close to her mouth, those luscious lips.

"Alice."

She must have seen the confusion and elaborated. "She told me I'd destroy the Volturi. That _I _would destroy them. I was like number one Volturi fan. I always considered Aro a mentor. Not just that, a safety. His safety ensures my safety. It was more than that, of course. I had no idea what I really was to him, that in reality, it was Marcus all along. Marcus was the hope I desperately sought in the Brothers. That I sought at my fountain.

"It was built for me," she finally said, in a whisper. "I still don't know why. It's a shame Marcus couldn't get out with us. He...he would know."

"He did what had to be done," I was finally able to whisper, with minimal signs of the arousal I was feeling. "Just as Carlisle did, Felix, Alice...hell, Bella, didn't you realize the kind of pull you have over people? No one can help but love you."

She laughed. Fucking _bells_. "Not everyone loves a monster, Edward. In fact, I was lonely for most of my existence. There have been blips, Carlisle, for instance, but I never recognized it. I thought I enjoyed being alone when now, all I can think about is how much I hated it.

"Like this goddamn city. I hate it," she spat, suddenly and looked away. There was almost a wild desperation in her face that I had never seen before. Then again, there was so much I didn't know about her.

"I've lost myself to it."

"You've gained everything by _using _it," I said. "Alice stopped the spiral. Tell me, Bella. You don't have to hold it in."

I was a little unsure how that sounded, but when she looked my direction again, it was relief I saw in her eyes.

"She did. I couldn't get her out of my mind. The first prisoner in two hundred years to make me think twice about assault. She was definitely a trigger. Then, there was Jasper. I can't imagine having met a better friend even if it was hard to control myself with him at first. He's nothing like Alice."

I laughed. "Not at all," I agreed. "He was probably throwing his own anger at you."

She nodded, musing. "I'm sure. It's a strange ability. Hard to keep a defense against it."

We laughed together for a moment and it was wonderful, better than heaven. Much better, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything, afraid I'd spoil the moment. Bella was building up to something, but hadn't reached it yet. I knew I needed to let her finish or she may never leave herself this vulnerable again. It almost felt selfish.

"Then, I left Volterra." She sighed, leaning forward again. "And I met you." The sentence hung there, more like an accusation than anything. I know what I wanted it to mean, but I wouldn't let myself hope. Not yet. Bella searched for the words to describe what she wanted to say next. It almost sounded like she was fighting herself to speak. "And your family," she amended. "Nothing mattered to me more than protecting you. What I did, was the worst mistake in a long list, Edward."

She sighed. Her eyes turned to darkness and night.

"I'll always remember the day I walked away from you, Edward. I'll regret it forever. But I didn't deserve it. You were too perfect. "

Her voice trailed off in a whisper. I wanted to respond. I wasn't sure where she was going and couldn't take another rejection. If my angel left me again, I'd die. I wanted to stay in her presence until the end of time.

"You were perfect," she sighed, "and I was worthless."

This time, I couldn't hold back. My hand was against her cheek, soothing the worry I saw there. I wanted to do much more, but held back. "You are anything but _worthless_." It wasn't surprising that my words came out a snarl.

She smiled her beautiful smile. I was instantly quieted.

"I thought I was running away to save you, but I was noly running in circles. I would have come back to you. It's too hard to say that everything will be okay, but I won't give up on you again. I'd die first."

She was struggling again, and I dropped my hand to grab both of hers in mine. Shame be damned. It did seem to calm her and her words flowed fast from those perfect lips.

"I can't breathe unless you breathe, bleed unless you bleed." She closed her captivating crimson eyes and moaned lowly. "I won't be unless you be."

In shock, I repeated her words in my head. Her eyes never opened, but suddenly, her lips were on mine, so it didn't matter anyway. I was gone. Lost, in the essence of her. She'd finally opened to me. It triggered deep urges in me. I wanted her in every way. No matter her past lies and deception, I wanted her. All the anticipation, the desire, the fire erupting through my body led me to this moment. I didn't want to give it up but I had to say something. Bella had given me a lot – would give me much more I was sure – and I had to give her something back. I'd always been straight forward about my feelings. I might have hidden the depths I felt them, but I wanted to rectify that. She'd shed every pretense and mask she'd ever had and handed it over. Even to admit the feelings she had tried so hard to swallow had been hard for this angel. Yes, I definitely owed her something, even if the admittance probably appallingly apparent.

Reluctantly pushing Bella away from my body, I looked into those crimson eyes as they fluttered back open. "I love you," I whispered with every bit of the passion and desire I'd felt since meeting this goddess, because it was true. The hows and whys might never make sense, but of that one fact I was certain. I simply loved her. It was something I wanted to shout to the heavens and to scream to the devil. No matter what the outcome of eternity – if there should be heaven or hell – it no longer meant anything.

Everything, _forever_, was Bella.


	18. Epilogue

**Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Epilogue**

_I want to say that after admitting our feelings for one another, Edward and I held hands and walked off into the sunset. I'd like to say that we lived happily forever after. _

_But that isn't what happened. _

_Old habits die hard._

I ran down the dark tunnel, smiling wickedly. There was no way to beat me at my own game. The scent was still fresh, so I let my fingers graze the smooth stones of the walls. I let my instincts guide me, but remained in control of my pace. That way, my prey would hear me coming long before he saw me. My smile widened and my eyes flashed. They were dulling now, but still a dark red, like congealed blood. I liked them. They looked positively sinful.

I let my eyes search back and forth, though I knew the trail still head south. What _he _didn't realize was I knew these sewers like the back of my hand. I had run through them millions of times. He couldn't get away. He was trapped.

My footsteps were slow and silent as I made my way toward him. His body began calling to mine and I knew he was nearby. I didn't need to react on scent alone. The connection was too deep to keep him hidden. He was _mine_.

Crouching low like a huntress, I crept along the wall to the very last cell.

Cornered.

I lunged in the room and crouched low, my eyes raking the man before me. The darkness was thick inside this hole, but I could still see his pale and half naked body laid before me. He was breathtaking, but I couldn't let him know that.

"I found you," I hissed, the wicked grin slid back on my lips.

"Only because I let you." His voice trailed off as he caught the look in my eyes.

"Oh? Then why did you run so fast?"

"I like things fast." His crooked grin flashed in the darkness and his tone was unmistakable.

I snarled again. "Unfortunately for you, I like to take my time. Draw it out. Make you beg for mercy."

"We'll see who begs," he teased.

"Yes," I answered more breathlessly than anticipated. "It won't be me." I laughed, a light sound in the pressing gloom. It echoed bell-like around the stone cell.

In less than an instant, he sprang at me, but I let him come. Strong arms wrapped around my body roughly, pushing me into the wall of the cell. I could feel the cool smoothness pressing through my thin clothing, but was more aware of his body as it fell flush against mine. I couldn't help but slowly pull in a breath of air. Just _feeling _him next to me was making alarms go off all over my body, but I was distracted by the depth of his gaze, now locked with mine. The predator becomes the prey.

"You can't always have everything your way," he growled against my neck.

Using my last bit of resistance, I narrowed my eyes slowly. "It's my way or the highway."

He leaned in until his lips were an inch from mine and his breath flooded my mouth in heady bursts. I instantly craved more, but miraculously held my ground. He tasted like passion, like romance. Still, I tilted my head away.

His nose ran up my exposed neck and I shuddered. "I'll give you what _I_ want and you can take it."

I almost groaned, barely resisting the urge to tell him that we both wanted the same thing.

"Don't fuck with me," I threatened weakly. It didn't sound at all the threat I intended.

Lips brushed my skin as his breath hit my shoulder in quick gusts. I found I was breathing as heavily as he was. His hands slid down my arms and pulled my wrists, guiding them above my head. He pressed them into the wall and I was too aware of the way my body longed to melt into his. Stretched this way, each angle of his hard chest felt even more stimulating. This time my groan was pure arousal. The way my body reacted to his was stronger than gravity. I could never get enough.

With that thought, I moved my head to stop his advancing kisses and snared his lips with mine. It was amazing, letting myself go. Wonderful, beautiful, sensual. There would never be a need for anyone but him ever again and it wasn't just that he completed me on every level. He also satisfied my emptiness. The fact he played my games made it just a bit more electrifying. He was my every fantasy. I'd never look away.

Hungrily our mouths met and desperately tried to tie together. It never seemed enough. My entire body reacted to the intensity and I pushed back against him. His own urgency was evident as he pressed his hips roughly into mine. We sighed into each other's mouths, as the real fire ignited from the contact of our lower bodies. Out of control and rampant as ever, we gave ourselves to the hungry desire our bodies craved. It was easy.

I used to think that love had the ability to destroy, that it crushed the soul. And I was right. What I never understood was that love also had the ability to build you back up. I'd lost everything that I'd come close to loving in my life, except Edward despite my intent to scare him away. Now, his love for me and in return, mine for him, saved me from myself. I had a beginning place in this strange new world and that was with him. Knowing that, I could let the rest go.

Edward released one of my hands which immediately fell into his messy hair. I twirled the silky strands between my fingers. The way my hands slid through the unruliness was an aphrodisiac. I couldn't stop the sound of pure pleasure as it escaped my lips.

His fingers were on my breast, nipping lightly at my already alert nipples. Edward's mouth moved from mine and continued kissing my neck, my collarbone, my shoulders. His lips were a force of their own and just when I thought the burning was too much, he dropped to his knees in a single fluid movement.

"You want something from me?" he whispered with an eyebrow arched sinfully.

I couldn't make coherent words, but guessing by the way he tore the pants from my body, I think he got it. Strong fingers rubbed the silk of my underwear and his lips began kissing my hips, my thighs, until they met the thin fabric he stroked. With a slow pace, Edward let his tongue slide under the edge of the black thong.

"Beg me," he whispered, mouth hovering directly above the fabric. The way his breath spilled against my wet center was amazingly unbearable. My breathing hitched and I could feel his face turn into a smile. There was a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

I moaned his name loudly.

He moved away an inch, and I tried to move my hips to follow, but he was just out of reach. "I said beg me for it, Bella."

His tone was crisp and sharp and I couldn't stop myself. He used his power and dazzled me into whatever it was he desired.

"Please," I whispered hoarsely, breathing quickening.

"I didn't quite catch that." The bastard grinned. He was actually grinning at my underwear and moved another inch away from me.

"_Please_!" I cried desperately.

Edward ripped off the offending barrier and pushed into me, his tongue immediately circling the point of my desire. I curled one leg over his strong shoulder, reveling in the way his muscles rippled as his tongue plunged into my body.

"Yes," I moaned into the air.

Edward slid his hands to my ass, coaxing my other leg from the floor. I tied my ankles behind his neck and let Edward support me against the wall. I was breathing wildly now, desire spreading the fire. My muscles were tightening as Edward inserted his fingers inside me, pushing in and out at a steady pace. His tongue went back to licking up my folds and the tension built in my body. I shuddered beneath his artful touch.

He only grew hungrier in his attack. Eagerly, his hand pounded into me and let his teeth graze my swollen slit, until the mounting tension broke and, bursting like an explosion, I released, wave after crashing wave of ecstasy through my body.

Edward didn't stop, but neither did my burning for him. He slowed his thrusting, but lapped up the result of my orgasm and sighed softly into me. That one sound, as content and pleasured as it was, sent me reeling all over again. This time, Edward pushed as deep as his fingers could go, to feel me clench around him. I might have screamed his name, but venom pounded in my ears and it was all I could hear.

Loving kisses traced back up the slope of my stomach, hesitated over my heaving chest, before finding my lips again. He lowered my body to the cool surface of the floor. I eagerly opened my mouth to taste myself, my love, all over his lips. My need only increased as my fingers dislodged from his hair and found their way to his zipper, which was hastily slid down. Edward fell from his restraint with a soft moan into my mouth.

I ran my fingers down the length of his erection, feeling the familiar soft flesh. In a quick motion, Edward's pants disappeared and he was pressed against me so I had no room to move my hand down him.

Growling in my ear he said, "I won't last long if you do that."

"Beg me," I sighed, but obliged and released my hold. Immediately his tip hit my ready center. Warmth pulsed through me and I greedily pushed myself onto him. There was a mutual gasp as we connected and Edward took a long moment to collect himself. I could already feel how swollen he was with desire.

Slowly, his body pulled out of me, but he left his chest flush with mine and went back to showering my skin with delicate kisses. I ground against his hips as they slid forward between my legs once more. Edward groaned and bit onto my shoulder. Instead of adding to the fire raging inside me, it cooled me. I felt Edward's venom swam into my veins. A swirling, light headed feeling came with it and I was plunged deeper into the euphoria of Edward.

To return the intensity, I slid my teeth carefully into his neck, careful to ease into it. The taste of his essence pushed me further and almost into an frenzy. I drew him into me with long pulls. His strength, energy, stamina, _love_ boiled into my system. His body loosened and tensed at the same instant as the exchange hit him.

With dizzying emotions, Edward's pushed his body against mine, trying to enter me as deeply as possible. I let my legs fall wider and opened myself to him. He never pulled out again, only pushed deeper, ground harder into me. My body took his need and lust and stroked it. My legs began shuddering as he finally released it all in a pulsing moan. The feeling of his eruption was enough for my center to clench him violently and spill me into a final mind-numbing scream.

He collapsed onto me, panting and we laid there still connected as reality shifted around us. When I was in Edward's arms, there was nothing else in the entire world. Pressed together, flesh against flesh, I knew he was my angel, my savior. He was the reason I was where I was. He had taken me, broken and hollow, and ignited those fires that burned away everything else.

In Edward's arms, I was me. I was who I was meant to be, who I would never be without him. The burning passion and need for Edward only grew every second and I knew I completed him in the same ways he completed me. Without each other, there was nothing in this world. He would forever be at my side, as my friend, my companion, my lover, my anchor.

"You don't play fair," I finally breathed aloud as he rolled away.

Edward was chuckling. "I like to be on top, too."

My arm was carelessly flung across his chest and one leg snaked around his. Tiredly, I traced lazy circles over his stomach, delighting in the way it moved with his steady breaths.

"I've got something to show you," he finally broke the silence. He jumped to his feet quickly, leaving my naked body in complete contact with the floor.

"Does it have anything to do with why you've been hiding from me all week?" I asked, sitting up, only a little perturbed.

He was grinning widely. Post coitus Edward was the picture of a god. His hair mussed more than usual, but I couldn't help but sigh as I looked at his bared perfection. I was reminded of the last time he had stood like this before me.

We dressed (I had to alter his t-shirt into a makeshift skirt, as he had ripped away my pants) and quickly made our way back down the tunnel. Even if everything else had fallen, the heart of the city remained intact. The intricate tunnel system beneath the city streets was the only bit that escaped the war unscathed. There were still fallen passages from Edward and Emmett's bombings, but for the most part, they were whole. And Volterra was being rebuilt from its ashes. It would rise prouder and stronger than before and I wasn't scared anymore. I had accepted my position for the future.

It helped the Cullens were by my side. Each one made this even more bearable. With their help, I had come to terms with the massacre. I was slowly letting it all go. It was much more about my own sorted past, than the city itself. But, in the end, both had been built on lies and deceit, so I had no choice but rebuild and move on. The Cullens just made it easier.

Edward and I exited the sewers, our hands entwined, and stepped on to the freshly cleared cobblestone street. I inhaled the sweet twilight air and could hardly smell the burned, decimated scent of the battle. That would make it easier. I had been spending most of my time underground. I guess it was hiding from my atrocities, but Edward was insistent.

Most of the familiar buildings were still fallen, but the streets had been cleared and the salvageable materials piled beside their prospective monuments. Work was moving slowly, but I was content for the humans to do it at their speed. Volterra was to become a historic monument and the nations of the world had risen to rebuild it. I knew much of the monetary response was due to vampire influence and that was comforting. It was almost like a gift of confidence, allegiance. It was easier to take it all in, knowing I was supported.

I could see Carlisle's makeshift triage center to our left, but Edward led me on. Carlisle had been instrumental in the aftermath of the battle. He had set up the triage center for the wounded humans and spent the last few weeks doting on even the most common of ailment. The place was still rank with the scents of blood and death and made my stomach clench uncomfortably anytime I was near it. Needless to say, I hadn't spent much time with him since the battle, but we had spoken a week afterward when I forced myself to visit the blue tent near the western edge of the city.

I had felt uncomfortably diplomatic as he gave me a tour of the meager facility. It was true luck that Carlisle was simply amazing at what he did. No human would have been able to make the differences he had with the little amount of supplies at his disposal. He was their savior. I wouldn't be surprised if martyrdom hit Carlisle early. I might have to ordain a Saint Carlisle Day to coincide with Saint Marcus Day (which would be a tradition that would continue for eons.)

He was totally at ease while I was inwardly shuddering at the stench thick in the air. "We've made a difference," he said contentedly, sliding into a chair and finishing the tour.

"Y_ou've _made a difference," I corrected, then added sincerely, "I'm so glad you were here."

Carlisle leaned forward, looking at me with his sharp eyes. He grabbed my hand with both of his and held it tightly. "I told you I would be there if you ever needed me," he reminded me of promises from a former life. "For a long time, I thought I had broken that promise, but I realize you never really needed me before now."

Suddenly overcome, I matched his intensity and leaned in. "But I did need you, Carlisle. All along I've needed your presence. I've realized that now. I never got you out of my head. Not for 250 years." I couldn't finish.

His smile was warm. "Our past experiences are what make us unique. Without them, how could we, as a species, mature? I'll be the first to admit I've made mistakes along the way," he ignored my raised eyebrow. Was anyone less tarnished than Carlisle Cullen? "but the one lesson I have learned is I have to them let go. Mistakes happen, but we can rise above them. We can better ourselves _because_ of them."

"Ok," I said slowly, "So shit happens, deal with it. Check."

Carlisle chuckled. "Those wouldn't be the words I'd choose, but yes, essentially. I think you've got it."

He winked, so I rolled my eyes. "I'm afraid that I'll never change."

"You've _already_ changed_, _Isabella. The second you put your trust in Alice your whole world tilted. When something like that happens it's permanent. There's no going back, only forward. Only you can decide what to do with it now."

His words had clung onto me.

I had to go forward. It was easy in some ways and impossible in others. But I had something I never had before: Edward. He was worth whatever struggle it took to make me worthy of his love.

We walked at a slow human speed, though there were no humans around. Most, human and vampires alike, had already moved on, leaving Volterra a virtual ghost town. I didn't mind. I liked to think of it as mine, anyway. This just made it feel more solid.

The evening sky was a brilliant red, fading to a velvet blue in the east. I recognized where he was leading me, but went along regardless of my reluctance. Edward seemed to notice my hesitation and dragging feet and finally turned to me. He kept walking backwards, keeping his golden eyes locked to mine.

A smile danced in those eyes, but his expression was unreadable. "Trust me," he whispered and I could only nod because I had no control over myself when he turned that look on.

Finally, we reached the Palazzo dei Priori and Edward's hand was suddenly blocking my view. His body leaned in close, so I could feel his chest against mine.

"I love you, Bella," he said, brushed his lips against mine and released my eyes. They fell immediately to the center of the square. I gasped. The last time I'd been here, when I confessed everything to Edward, it was decimated. Now?

Now, it was amazing. Better than it had been before though the tower no longer shadowed it. That fact hardly deterred from the effect. There in the very center, built of an ageless pearled marble was my fountain. It was familiar in the sense it had the same basic design, but it was different in so many ways, much more delicate in the intricacies.

Immediately, water shot from the top, flooded over the rim of the upper tier and began filling the second shallow bowl. It only took a moment until the water trickled down, filling the two other tiers, before splashing into the pool. The sound immediately soothed me and I walked over and sat on the edge. My fingers grazed the water and I was instantly at peace.

Then, I looked back at Edward. He was still in the same spot where I'd left him. My stomach twisted as it often did when I was in his presence. I used to think he made me uncomfortable, but I'd come to find out the fluttering and tightening was common for those _in love_.

I didn't know what to say. He'd been sneaking around, building this behind my back and I had absolutely no idea. "You did this." It wasn't a question.

Edward's lips curled into his perfectly crooked grin and he walked to me. He bent onto his knees, taking my hands with his. "I told you," he whispered, leaning in so his breath tickled my ear. "I love you."

I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. I still wasn't sure how any of it was possible.

"Kiss him already," sighed a flat voice. "You're boring me, Bella."

I didn't move my gaze from its lock on Edward's, but laughed. "And here I thought _you _were the entertainment, Rose."

She hissed, but I knew it was in fun. We'd had formed a sort of guarded friendship as soon as she admitted to me that she had binged on revenge once. Then, she'd become an advisor. At least, she made her opinions known. Whatever it amounted to, we were snide and crass with each other, but I found I enjoyed the blonde's company as well as any of the Cullens.

I could hear the snickers of the rest of the family and smiled. They had just returned to the city, after spreading word of what had happened across the world and flush out Volturi supporters. I was glad they'd come back so soon. Felix still hadn't come home. He was experiencing his own sort of "distractions" in the aftermath of the war. But, I couldn't fault him. Above all, I wished him some sort of happy ending. Somewhere out there was a soul mate for him. I only wondered if I'd be jealous when he found her.

I shook Felix from my head and leaned forward. My lips touched those of my love. The electricity still burned fierce between us and my body reacted, though I'd had him less than ten minutes ago.

It was easy to lose myself in Edward's arms, against his mouth. He was my soul mate, my other half on infinite levels. I hardly remembered how I survived before I knew him. Even if I'd done a lot of evil things in my life – terrible things that I might regret –one thing eclipses everything else: my love for Edward. It's irrational, undeniable and completely irrevocable. But because of it, I was whole and happy.

To say that Edward and I lived happily ever after would be the biggest understatement in history because that's not what happened at all.

Edward was _everything_ and we had each other for the rest of days.


End file.
